Argentina President Javier Milei has accused Brazil and Mexico of funding an “anti-Argentina campaign” without providing evidence, a week after the national team lost the World Cup final to Spain.
World Cup Final Fallout
Argentina was beaten 1-0 by Spain after an extra-time goal from Ferran Torres, failing to defend the title they won in 2022. After the match, midfielder Leandro Paredes attacked several Spain players, and most of the Argentina squad turned their backs as Spain lifted the trophy. The incidents drew widespread criticism from the football world.
Milei’s Unsubstantiated Claims
In an interview with Radio Mitre, Milei claimed that the Brazilian government funded 25% of the “anti-Argentina campaign.” He said: “Who put the most money into this anti-Argentina campaign? The Brazilian government. Twenty-five percent of the funding came from the Brazilian government. And then they lecture me about interference.”
He added that the campaign was also “funded by Mexico, by the Democratic Party in the United States. Who are they? They are the progressive leaders who don't want the ideas of freedom to succeed.” Milei offered no evidence to support his accusations.
Earlier, Milei had defended the national team on Instagram, accusing critics of “jealousy.” One post read: “Do you have enemies? It means you once defended something. We defend Argentina.” Another said: “The problem with Argentina is that we stand out. We don't go unnoticed, people are jealous of us, and we're good at almost everything.”
Conspiracy Theories and Petition
The defeat followed conspiracy theories that the World Cup was fixed in Argentina’s favor, which FIFA denied. Over 23 million people signed a petition to ban Argentina from the World Cup, reflecting the ill-feeling.
