Ronaldo’s account likes Insta post alleging FIFA bias towards Messi at 2026 World Cup

WEB DESK: Cristiano Ronaldo’s verified Instagram account appeared to ‘like’ a social media post accusing FIFA of corruption and claiming officials attempted to hand the 2026 World Cup to Lionel Messi.

The interaction surfaced shortly after Argentina suffered a 1-0 extra-time defeat to Spain in the final of the tournament in North America. The liked post contained a video excerpt of Spanish journalist Pilar Rodriguez Losantos speaking on the television show Espejo Publico, where she criticised officiating decisions that allegedly favoured the South American side.

Journalist alleges tournament bias

In the clip, recorded prior to the final, Losantos claimed Argentina received preferential treatment throughout the competition.

“Argentina should have been eliminated at least five matches ago! They are only still in the tournament thanks to help from FIFA, which is one of the most corrupt institutions on planet earth,” Losantos said during the broadcast. She further added that she was not ‘afraid of Argentina’ at all, rather is more afraid of Gianni Infantino: “I think we’re not going to play against Argentina, but against the whole of FIFA, who want to hand the World Cup to Lionel Messi!”

Officiating disputes cloud run

Disputes regarding refereeing peaked following Argentina’s 3-2 victory over Egypt in the round of 16. The match featured a VAR-overturned goal by Mostafa Zico and a rejected Egyptian penalty appeal.

Following the fixture, the Egyptian Football Association (EFA) submitted a formal complaint to FIFA. “Defending the rights and interests of the Egyptian national team is not a matter that can be ignored, minimised, or treated as secondary. It is a responsibility that we carry with full conviction and determination,” the EFA statement read.

FIFA refereeing chief Pierluigi Collina rejected suggestions of systematic bias during the tournament, while Argentina defender Lisandro Martinez described the officials’ performance as “excellent”.