Millions of fans have signed a petition calling for Argentina to be permanently banned from the World Cup. The losing finalists have sparked a lot of anger in recent weeks, drawing criticism for their aggressive style of play and repeated antics throughout the tournament. After defeating England in the semi-final, many players held up political banners referencing the Falkland Islands.
At the beginning of the tournament, many fans suggested that the World Cup might have tilted in Argentina’s favor following Argentina’s controversial victory over Egypt.
The opponents were equally furious that a goal that would have doubled their lead was canceled out by VAR, and that a penalty was not awarded just before Argentina would have been decisive winners.
It has now been revealed that a huge number of soccer fans want Argentina permanently banned from the World Cup.
The petition entitled “Leave Argentina” has gathered a whopping 23,316,108 signatures from 170 countries around the world. Organizers set an initial goal of 5 million people, but the final tally made it one of the most widely signed petitions in history.
The report, launched during the World Cup, accused FIFA of showing “bias” against Argentina, a charge the governing body has strongly denied.
The petition read: “If we know the winner in advance, why should the remaining teams participate in the tournament? Please remove Argentina from the World Cup and give everyone a fair chance.”
The petition ended after the final, in which Spain defeated Argentina with Ferran Torres’ extra-time winning goal. The organizers added a short statement: “FIFA ignored us, but Spain persevered. Thank you, Spain.”
Argentina has already been confirmed as one of several host nations for the next World Cup, which will mark the 100th anniversary of the tournament.
After Sunday’s final, some fans started their own petition, calling for a full replay of the match due to “unfair refereeing decisions”. So far, more than 80,000 signatures have been collected.
