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Why did Argentina fans launch petition to replay 2026 FIFA World Cup final? Here's what happened
A Change.org petition urging FIFA to replay the World Cup final after Argentina's defeat to Spain has gained thousands of signatures.
A section of Argentina supporters has launched an online petition demanding that FIFA replay the 2026 FIFA World Cup final after Spain defeated Argentina 1-0, according to Bein Sports. The petition alleges that several refereeing decisions by Slovenian official Slavko Vinčić influenced the outcome of the match.
It further calls for a transparent review by football's governing body.
The petition has quickly gained momentum online, attracting more than 67,500 signatures at the time of reporting.
Why are Argentina fans demanding a replay?
The petition was created by Argentina supporter Gisela Sánchez, who argues that several refereeing decisions during the July 19 final affected the result. According to the petition, video footage shows a pattern of decisions that allegedly favoured Spain and altered the course of the match.
The appeal asks FIFA to conduct a full investigation into the officiating and consider replaying the final if it concludes that the outcome was affected by biased refereeing. Sánchez described the campaign as a fight for fairness “not only for Argentina, but for the future of world football.”
El Canciller, an Argentine news outlet, called it a "fake news" story and questioned the campaign's veracity because a single online petition was circulated as if it were a coordinated national effort to collect signatures and demand that the final be replayed.
Can FIFA order a World Cup final replay?
Despite the petition's growing support, football regulations make a replay extremely unlikely.
According to FIFA's rules, petitions on platforms such as Change.org have no legal or regulatory authority. They cannot compel FIFA to overturn an official result or schedule another match.
A World Cup fixture can only be replayed under exceptional circumstances defined by the Laws of the Game or through disciplinary and legal procedures initiated by football's governing bodies.
According to Bein Sports, during the same World Cup, French supporters launched a Change.org petition seeking a replay of the Spain-France semifinal after disputing a controversial decision that led to Spain's opening goal.
That campaign attracted more than 82,000 signatures but did not affect FIFA's official result or the tournament schedule.
“We lost because Spain were better than us”
One of the match's most debated moments came when Enzo Fernández received a red card after picking up a second yellow card for a challenge on Spanish defender Pau Cubarsí. The dismissal left Argentina with 10 players.
This left Argentina fans with doubts and questioned Vinčić's decisions throughout the match.
However, Argentina head coach Lionel Scaloni rejected suggestions that the referee decided the final.
Speaking after returning to Argentina, Scaloni said Spain deserved to win.
"No, we lost because Spain were better than us," Scaloni told reporters when asked whether the officiating had been unfair.
