Defending FIFA World Cup champions Argentina will face England in the second semi-final of the 2026 tournament amid growing online controversy over allegations of referee bias in favour of Lionel Messi's side.
Ahead of the high-profile clash, an online petition calling for Argentina's removal from the World Cup has gained significant traction. According to a report by the South China Morning Post, the campaign had attracted more than 6 million signatures, with the total surpassing 7.5 million by early Wednesday morning.
The petition, hosted on argentinaout.com, accuses FIFA and match officials of favouring Argentina during the tournament.
"It is obvious that FIFA and the referees are biased toward Lionel Messi and Argentina. 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 has emerged as Argentina and England prepare to renew one of international football's most storied rivalries in a match that will decide a place in the World Cup final.
Meetings between the two nations have often been shaped by both sporting drama and the long-running sovereignty dispute over the Falkland Islands, known in Spanish as the Malvinas, in the South Atlantic Ocean.
This year's semi-final also comes four decades after Diego Maradona's controversial "Hand of God" goal helped Argentina defeat England 2-1 in the quarter-finals of the 1986 FIFA World Cup in Mexico.
England captain Harry Kane said his side would not allow the historical significance of the fixture or the surrounding controversy to affect its preparation. Kane, who is competing with Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe for the tournament's Golden Boot, said England's focus would remain firmly on the football.
"From a player's point of view, it's us against a great team, who are smart, who are tactical, who know how to buy fouls, know how to slow the game down -- like many different teams you come up against throughout your whole career," Kane told ITV.
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