Messi's World Cup Run: Fair Play or VAR Cheat?

Lionel Messi has delivered a standout performance in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, scoring eight goals and assisting two heading into the semifinal. Despite his brilliance, controversy has erupted surrounding Argentina's matches, with opponents alleging preferential treatment. Following Egypt's round of 16 loss, coach Hossam Hassan accused referees of being pressured, citing disallowed goals and unreviewed penalty calls as evidence of unfair play.

The scrutiny intensified with New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani even coining the term "VARgentina." A notable incident involved a disallowed Egyptian goal after a VAR review, which baffled commentators. Data analysis from NetSI Sport further fueled these claims. As of July 11th, before Argentina's quarterfinal win, the study indicated that Argentina uniquely had no fouls reviewed by VAR, while having the most fouls in their favor reviewed by a significant margin among quarterfinalists.

However, Brennan Klein of Northeastern NetSI Sport cautions against jumping to conclusions about bias. He suggests that referees missing fouls that VAR later identifies as worthy of review could explain Argentina's and Mexico's high rankings in favorable VAR outcomes. Nevertheless, these statistics are unlikely to appease critics or dispel narratives of FIFA favoring the Argentinian squad.