An online petition demanding that Argentina be expelled from the 2026 FIFA World Cup has become one of the largest digital campaigns in history, amassing more than 23.3 million signatures from supporters across 170 countries and coming within striking distance of a Guinness World Record.
The petition, titled “Argentina Out,” closed with 23,316,108 signatures, making it one of the biggest public petitions ever recorded.
It narrowly missed the Guinness World Record for the largest petition, which stands at 24,319,181 signatures, a mark set by the Jubilee 2000 debt relief campaign in 1997.
The unprecedented campaign was fueled by widespread frustration over what many football fans believed were controversial refereeing decisions that benefited Argentina throughout the tournament, particularly during the knockout rounds.
Supporters behind the petition accused FIFA and match officials of showing favoritism toward Lionel Messi’s side.
The petition’s description argued that the integrity of the tournament had been compromised and questioned whether other nations had been given a fair opportunity to compete.
“It is obvious that FIFA and the referees are biased toward Lionel Messi and Argentina,” the campaign stated. “Why should the rest of the world compete when the winner has already been decided? Kick Argentina out of the World Cup and give everyone else a fair chance.”
The campaign gained momentum following Argentina’s dramatic Round of 16 victory over Egypt, a match that sparked fierce debate online.
Egyptian supporters and neutral fans pointed to several contentious officiating decisions, including a disallowed Egyptian goal and disputed VAR calls, claiming the match had tilted in Argentina’s favor.
Although FIFA never acknowledged any officiating errors, the controversy spread rapidly across social media, helping the petition attract millions of signatures in just a few days.
The debate continued throughout Argentina’s march to the final, with every close decision involving the defending champions generating intense scrutiny. Argentina eventually reached the championship match but were defeated 1-0 by Spain after extra time, with Ferran Torres scoring the decisive goal to hand Spain its second World Cup title.
Following Spain’s victory, the petition organizers updated their website with a tongue-in-cheek message acknowledging that their objective had effectively been achieved without FIFA intervention.
“Over 23 million people from 170 countries signed this petition in under a week. FIFA ignored us but Spain delivered. Thank you Spain,” the updated statement read.
Despite the petition’s extraordinary popularity, there has been no indication that FIFA considered removing Argentina from the competition based on the campaign.
The governing body has consistently maintained that its officiating system, including VAR, operates independently and is subject to established review procedures.
However, FIFA has confirmed it is examining post-match incidents following the World Cup final after altercations involving several Argentine players and members of the coaching staff.
Those disciplinary proceedings are separate from the online petition and relate solely to conduct during and after the final.
The petition’s rapid rise nevertheless illustrates the growing influence of online fan movements in global sport.
While digital campaigns rarely lead directly to disciplinary action, they can amplify public debate and place governing bodies under intense scrutiny.
For Argentina, the campaign has become an unusual footnote to an otherwise successful tournament.
The South American giants reached another World Cup final before ultimately falling to Spain, but the online backlash ensured that discussions surrounding their campaign extended far beyond the football itself. Whether remembered as a genuine protest over refereeing standards or simply an extraordinary example of football fandom in the digital age, the “Argentina Out” petition has already secured a place in World Cup history even if it fell just one million signatures short of rewriting the Guinness World Records
