Milei: World Cup critics 'jealous' of Argentina

Argentine President Javier Milei has claimed that critics of his country's national football team are motivated by jealousy after a controversial World Cup campaign ended in a loss to Spain. In social media posts, Milei defended Argentina's performance and dismissed allegations of favoritism by FIFA.

Criticism amid World Cup run

Argentina's path to the final was marked by accusations that the team received preferential treatment from FIFA, according to multiple reports Source: infobae. The team narrowly advanced through several knockout rounds, leading to widespread online backlash. Following the 1-0 extra-time defeat to Spain, with a goal by Ferran Torres, hundreds of Argentine fans even launched a Change.org petition demanding a rematch Source: infobae.

Milei's response

Milei took to Instagram to address the criticism, stating: "The problem with Argentina is that we are flashy, we don't go unnoticed, they are jealous of us and we are good at almost everything. Sorry, but someone had to say it" Source: heraldomx. He added, "Do you have enemies? It means that at some point you defended something. We defend Argentina" Source: infobae. His posts included an AI-generated image of himself wearing the national jersey under his suit with the caption "Long live Argentina, damn it!" Source: infobae.

Social media impact

Milei's comments quickly went viral, amassing over 182,000 likes and 14,000 comments on Instagram, sparking both support and criticism Source: heraldomx. He framed the backlash as a sign of Argentina's global prominence, asserting that "the world is going to see where a country full of Argentines can reach" Source: infobae.