An Argentine psychologist has sparked controversy after claiming Lionel Messi and his teammates were “ordered” to lose the 2026 FIFA World Cup final against Spain, despite offering no evidence to support the allegation.
Spain defeated Argentina 1-0 after extra time at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on Sunday, with Ferran Torres scoring the decisive goal in the 106th minute to hand La Roja their second World Cup title after their maiden triumph in 2010.
The psychologist, speaking in a video shared by Argentine news outlet MDZ and reposted by @mdzol on X, argued that Argentina’s display was too unusual to be explained purely by football.
“There’s no doubt that the Argentine National Team was ordered to lose. As a psychologist, I’m trained to see and hear what’s left unsaid. And in Sunday’s match, I saw strange things. They treated us like fools and put on a show,” she said.
The claim quickly generated debate online, although no evidence has been presented to substantiate the allegation.
Argentina struggled to impose themselves throughout the final and produced an unusually blunt attacking display. Lionel Scaloni’s side became the first team in World Cup final history to fail to register a single shot on target during the opening 90 minutes. They also finished the entire 120 minutes without recording a shot on target.
Lionel Messi, who had entered the final in sensational form with eight goals and four assists in seven matches, was largely kept quiet by Spain’s defence. The Argentina captain managed only one attempt on goal, which was blocked.
At the other end, goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez was Argentina’s standout performer, making 11 saves to keep his side in the contest before Torres eventually found the breakthrough in extra time.
The defeat saw Argentina miss out on consecutive World Cup titles and also placed them alongside Germany as the nations with the most World Cup final defeats. Argentina have now lost four finals, in 1930, 1990, 2014 and 2026, matching Germany’s record of final losses in 1966, 1982, 1986 and 2002.
Despite the psychologist’s comments, there has been no official suggestion from FIFA, the Argentine Football Association, Spain or any credible authority that the World Cup final was manipulated or predetermined. The allegations remain an unsubstantiated personal opinion.
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