Cristiano Ronaldo's Instagram Like Reignites FIFA Bias Claims Over Lionel Messi's Argentina at World Cup 2026

Claims of FIFA favouring Argentina over the course of the FIFA World Cup 2026 aren't new. However, the allegations have reached an unprecedented high after Cristiano Ronaldo was accused of 'liking' a post on Instagram that claimed as much.

Ronaldo, who was eliminated in the Round of 16 with Portugal by eventual champions Spain, is said to have liked a video on an Instagram account named 'espejopublico', where the panellists spoke about different instances over the course of the World Cup where referees and the VAR (Video Assistant Referee) team seemingly favoured Lionel Messi 's Argentina.

In the video, a journalist compiled a clip highlighting multiple such instances. The journalist even stated: "Argentina should have been eliminated at least five matches ago! They're still in the tournament thanks to FIFA's help! So I'm not afraid of Argentina at all. I'm more afraid of Infantino. I don't think we're going to be playing against Argentina, but against the whole of FIFA, who want to hand the World Cup to Lionel Messi."

Ronaldo’s like fuels Messi-Argentina controversy

The incident immediately became linked to Ronaldo’s long-running rivalry with Messi, which has divided football supporters for nearly two decades. Any public interaction involving one player and criticism directed at the other is closely scrutinised, making Ronaldo’s like particularly significant.