Argentine football supporters have launched an online petition demanding that FIFA replay the 2026 World Cup final after Spain defeated Argentina 1-0 in extra time.The Change. org campaign crossed 61,000 signatures within days of the July 19 final at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Support continued to grow on Thursday, with separate live counts showing the total moving well beyond the figure that first drew international attention.
The petition was started by Gisela Sánchez, who accused Slovenian referee Slavko Vinčić of making decisions that unfairly influenced the contest. It calls for the match to be staged again under a different referee and urges FIFA to examine the officiating.
Spain secured its second World Cup title through Ferran Torres, who scored the decisive goal during extra time. Argentina, the defending champion, had been attempting to retain the trophy won in Qatar in 2022 and add a fourth world crown to its record.
Supporters behind the campaign have highlighted several disputed incidents, including challenges that they believe warranted stronger disciplinary action. They have also questioned the referee’s handling of physical confrontations and stoppages during a tense match.
No evidence has emerged that FIFA is considering a replay. The governing body has not indicated that the official result is under review, and the trophy presentation proceeded after the final whistle.
Change. org petitions have no regulatory authority over FIFA or its competitions. The platform allows users to demonstrate public support for a demand, but it cannot compel a sports organisation to investigate a match, overturn a decision or arrange another fixture.
Football results are generally treated as final once a match has been completed. Refereeing judgements involving fouls, cards, penalties and video reviews are not normally grounds for replaying a fixture, even when those decisions generate widespread criticism.
A replay would require exceptional circumstances, such as a serious misapplication of the laws of the game, an eligibility breach or a formal ruling by the competition’s governing authorities. Disagreement with a referee’s interpretation of an incident is usually insufficient.
The distinction has limited the prospects of comparable campaigns. French supporters collected more than 200,000 signatures after Argentina defeated France in the 2022 World Cup final, alleging irregularities surrounding Argentina’s third goal and the penalty shootout. FIFA did not reconsider the result.
Another petition during the 2026 tournament sought a replay of the semi-final between France and Spain after complaints about an incident preceding a penalty. It attracted more than 82,000 signatures without affecting the competition schedule or Spain’s place in the final.
The Argentine campaign has nevertheless become a focus for anger over refereeing and video assistant referee decisions during the expanded 48-team tournament. Several matches triggered allegations of inconsistency, while misleading clips, altered images and unsupported conspiracy theories circulated widely across social media.
The debate intensified after disorder followed the final whistle. Players and staff from both teams became involved in confrontations as emotions spilled over. Argentina assistant coach Roberto Ayala later apologised for his conduct during an incident involving Spain midfielder Dani Olmo, saying his behaviour was inappropriate.
FIFA is separately examining conduct connected to the post-match scenes. Any disciplinary process would concern individual actions and possible sanctions rather than the validity of Spain’s victory.
The Argentine Football Association has not adopted the petition as an official protest. A formal challenge would have to follow FIFA’s competition procedures and strict filing deadlines, while identifying a rule-based basis for intervention.
The demand has also produced a backlash. A separate campaign calling for Argentina to be excluded from future World Cups attracted millions of signatures before closing. That petition alleged favourable treatment towards Argentina and Lionel Messi, but it similarly carried no legal or sporting force.
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