Former Nigeria international John Mikel Obi has rejected allegations that FIFA is biased toward Lionel Messi and the Argentina national team at the 2026 World Cup. Mikel argues that such claims are primarily propagated by fans of Cristiano Ronaldo.
Speaking on The Rest Is Football podcast, Mikel addressed comments made by Joe Cole regarding Argentina’s path to the semi-finals against England. Cole had suggested that the global sentiment favors seeing Messi in the final, though he clarified he was not alleging actual match-fixing by FIFA. Cole also noted the potential for aggressive tactics from Argentine players, highlighting Rodrigo De Paul’s style of play.
Mikel pushed back against the narrative of favoritism. He stated that Argentina simply succeeded by winning their group, which resulted in a more favorable tournament bracket. He emphasized that Messi is performing on merit through goal-scoring and record-breaking play. Mikel concluded that these conspiracy theories are baseless attempts by Ronaldo supporters to diminish Argentina’s progress.
The winner of the match between England and Argentina is set to face Spain in the final this Sunday, following Spain’s victory over France.
