Lionel Messi, one of soccer’s wealthiest stars with a net worth of $1.1 billion, is currently at the center of wild conspiracy theories accusing FIFA of outright favoritism toward him and the Argentine squad. These allegations have blown up online, especially after a super controversial match.
The "Princess" Memes Are Going Absolutely Viral
Fans across social media are accusing FIFA of basically rolling out the red carpet for Messi. We’re talking AI-generated memes of Messi dressed like a princess, cozying up to FIFA president Gianni Infantino. These posts are crushing it, racking up hundreds of thousands of likes. One post on X has over 1 million views and 90,000 likes since Tuesday, claiming Infantino is smiling because he allegedly "successfully taken out all of Messi’s competition." Another post on TikTok, liked more than 2 million times, totally baselessly accuses Messi of offering to pay "millions" for extra penalty kicks, fueling the whole "cheating" narrative. People have been calling Messi "FIFA’s princess" since the 2022 World Cup, but it's hit a whole new level this year.That Argentina-Egypt Game Had Everyone Raging
The accusations really blew up after Argentina pulled off a 3-2 win over Egypt in the final minutes of a fiercely contested match. Egypt’s coach, Hossam Hassan, didn't hold back, calling the game "unfair" and saying his team "suffered injustice." He pointed to a voided Egyptian goal due to a foul and an uninvestigated potential foul by Argentina, even suggesting FIFA "wanted to keep the world champion in the competition. Perhaps they wanted Messi to stay in the running." The Egyptian Football Association backed him up, stating they "cannot remain silent" and that "several key incidents raised serious concerns." Plus, Argentina’s path to the semifinals has been historically easy, avoiding any of the top 13 teams in the FIFA rankings so far before facing No. 4 ranked England. Even Argentina’s own federation is investigating a potential hack after mass emails went out to reporters calling for "justice" for Egypt and alleging "corrupt calls." Wild, right?The Denials Are Flying, But the Heat Is Still On
Argentina’s manager, Lionel Scaloni, totally dismissed the favoritism claims last week. He said people have "been saying those kinds of things about Argentina for a very long time" and that "Social media magnifies everything." FIFA’s refereeing chief, Pierluigi Collina, also denied any favoritism in the Argentina-Egypt match, saying "unfounded allegations have no place in our sport" and that "nobody can claim that FIFA refereeing can be influenced by anyone, not even by the FIFA president." Talk about some serious back-and-forth! Now, Argentina is set to face England in the World Cup semifinals this Wednesday afternoon, with the game kicking off at 3 p.m. EDT in Atlanta. The whole soccer world is watching this one, wondering if these accusations will hang over the match.This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.