The aftermath of the World Cup final continues, with Argentina’s President Javier Millei busy posting on social media amid backlash against his country’s loss to Spain.
Javier Millay has been active on social media since the World Cup final (Image: Tomas Cuesta/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Argentina’s President Javier Millay has suggested that others are jealous of his country after a petition calling for his country to be banned from future World Cups garnered more than 23 million signatures.
Argentina have come under a barrage of criticism following embarrassing scenes after the final whistle in New Jersey. Spain defeated Lionel Messi and others in extra time thanks to a goal from Ferran Torres, but the victory was overshadowed by the developments that followed.
Midfielder Leandro Paredes kicked and punched Eric Garcia, forcing him to the ground and grappling with Gabi, while Nahuel Molina appeared to instigate the altercation by throwing a punch at Rodri. FIFA is investigating the ugly scenes, which could result in suspensions and fines.
Argentina took just two shots, was regularly fouled and was widely criticized for their behavior at the end of the game, which saw Enzo Fernandes sent off. An online petition calling for the player to be banned from all future World Cups currently has 23,316,108 signatures from around 170 countries.
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But the backlash has only created a siege mentality in the South American country, with a rival petition also launched claiming the match should be replayed because of the “corrupt” referee.
Currently, right-wing leader Milay is amplifying the feeling of injustice against her homeland through her posts on Instagram. The 55-year-old has been posting post after post that appears to be defending his team.
It says, “Do we have enemies? That means you once defended something. We defend Argentina.” Another says, “The problem in Argentina is that we don’t stand out, we don’t get noticed, people are jealous of us, and we’re good at almost everything.”
Millay also shared an AI image of his suit being torn to reveal the Argentina national team’s shirt, with the caption: “Long live Argentina, damn it!”
Leandro Paredes was at the center of the post-match struggle (Image: AFP via Getty Images)
This nationalistic rhetoric followed Argentina’s semi-final victory over England, which caused further controversy when Argentine players were shown celebrating by holding up a banner reading “Argentina Sons of Las Malvinas” (meaning “The Falkland Islands are Argentina”).
This sentiment was echoed by many in Lionel Scaloni’s team, including arch-villain Paredes, who refused to apologize for his actions after the final. “Thank you, Argentina! I love you today and always. Today, I write this letter with a heavy heart because I was unable to bring the joy that our country so richly deserves.”
“But we are filled with pride to have given everything we have and to once again raise our flag at the top! Thank you to everyone who was a part of this national team.”
Argentina celebrated with this banner after defeating England (Image: Paul ELLIS / AFP via Getty Images)
“To the players who gave their all to represent this shirt and fought for it until the last moment of each game! It was an honor to be part of the greatest Argentina national team of all time.”
Paredes avoided a red card for his actions, but could face disciplinary action from FIFA along with teammates Molina and Thiago Almada, as well as assistant coach Roberto Ayala.
World football’s governing body has appointed a disciplinary and ethics prosecutor to assess what happened after the final whistle at MetLife Stadium. Those involved have been given suspensions, and the Argentine Football Association (AFA) could be fined heavily for failing to supervise players and staff.
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