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Just hours before the 2026 World Cup final between Argentina and Spain, defender Aymeric Laporte ignited controversy with statements that quickly went viral. The Spanish defender claimed that in the Albiceleste's matches they "saw strange things," a phrase that has been interpreted by many fans as a reference to the refereeing and certain decisions made during the tournament.
Argentina reaches the FIFA World Cup final amidst controversy, as their team has been harshly criticized by thousands of fans, who point out that the squad led by Lionel Scaloni has been favored by Gianni Infantino and the referees throughout the championship.
This favoritism allegedly "helped" the Albiceleste to now be competing in the final and, possibly, to be crowned back-to-back champions of the tournament; amid this controversy, social media users have commented that in the last match against England, the Argentines assaulted the English players, and despite these fouls, the referee did not pull out a single yellow card.
But this perception of referees helping the Argentine team is not only held by fans, but was also brought up by Aymeric Laporte, who in an interview with Diario MARCA, spoke about the topic and sparked controversy.
The Spanish defender was asked if he was worried about Argentina's aggression, to which he replied that he was not: "If it is allowed and the referee does his job, I don't have any problem," he said.
However, he expressed his opinion by stating that there are clear fouls that have been ignored and for which the Argentine players have not been cautioned: "It is true that in the last few matches there are things that have surprised us a lot, that Argentina is always allowed to get away with it, especially since it is a team that leaves many messages, and in soccer, I don't think that should be allowed, especially in such large competitions because they can destabilize you, they can make you angry, and I think that is part of a referee's job, to control these things and, in the end, not let the game get out of hand. In the end, if one or two players can do it, then the game will be out of control. So, from the beginning of the tournament, we are very... I wouldn't say normal, but we are not that type of player to attack the rival or commit crazy fouls. I think we are a fairly noble team in that sense, and I think that is what we have to do in this match, but it is true that it depends a lot on the refereeing," he assured.
Laporte's statements divided opinions: some Spanish fans supported the defender and considered that he expressed a shared concern. In contrast, thousands of Argentine fans defended the performance of the Albiceleste during the tournament.
¿Cuándo se juega la final entre Argentina y España?
The 2026 World Cup final between Argentina and Spain will be played on July 19 at 1:00 PM at the New York New Jersey Stadium.
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