Cristiano Ronaldo has effectively endorsed corruption allegations against Lionel Messi, Argentina and world football’s governing body FIFA by liking a controversial Instagram video, intensifying scrutiny over the 2026 World Cup.
The Portuguese star, now playing for Al Nassr in Saudi Arabia, used his verified Instagram account to “like” a video posted by Spanish journalist Pilar Losantos, in which she accuses Argentina, Messi and FIFA of corruption and claims they benefited from refereeing bias during the tournament.
Social media move reignites rivalry
Ronaldo’s seemingly simple action on social media has been widely interpreted as a public show of support for the claims, injecting fresh tension into his long‐running sporting rivalry with Messi.
The video by Losantos alleges that Argentina and Messi received undue assistance from match officials during the World Cup 2026, a tournament overshadowed by repeated claims of favourable officiating for the then‐defending champions.
Argentina, who had been under the microscope throughout the competition, ultimately lost the final to Spain, surrendering their world title in dramatic fashion. The accusations of special treatment had already dominated debate during the tournament and have now resurfaced following Ronaldo’s online gesture.
Allegations of favoured refereeing
Throughout World Cup 2026, Argentina faced a series of allegations from fans, pundits and some media outlets that refereeing decisions tended to go their way at key moments.
Losantos’s video, which attracted Ronaldo’s approval, revisits those claims and directly links them to Messi, Argentina’s national team and FIFA itself. The journalist accuses the governing body of overseeing a corrupt system that allegedly tilted decisions in favour of the South American side.
While the clip has gained traction among critical supporters on social media, there has been no official confirmation that any investigation is under way into the matches in question. FIFA has consistently defended the integrity of its competitions and the professionalism of its referees in previous controversies, but has not publicly addressed this latest wave of online accusations.
Contrasting fortunes for Argentina and Portugal
On the pitch, the 2026 tournament delivered contrasting narratives for Ronaldo and Messi.
Argentina, led by Messi, advanced all the way to the final, only to lose the title to Spain. Despite the defeat, their deep run extended Messi’s legacy on the world stage and kept Argentina at the centre of global attention.
Portugal, by contrast, exited the competition in the last 16, also at the hands of Spain, who beat them 1–0. The early departure marked a disappointing end to the campaign for Ronaldo and his teammates and renewed questions about Portugal’s ability to challenge at major tournaments.
Online reaction and wider context
Ronaldo’s public alignment with a piece of content attacking Messi and FIFA has caused a stir among supporters of both players, with fans debating whether a “like” constitutes an explicit endorsement of serious accusations.
The move comes against the backdrop of a rivalry that has defined an era of men’s football, with Ronaldo and Messi repeatedly competing for titles, individual awards and records over more than 15 years.
Neither Ronaldo nor Messi has issued a direct statement about the allegations featured in the video. Argentina’s football authorities have also not formally responded, and FIFA has made no comment on the specific claims raised by Losantos.
However, the fact that one of the game’s biggest stars has interacted so visibly with content accusing another all‐time great, and the sport’s governing body, of corruption ensures the debate over World Cup 2026 officiating is unlikely to fade any time soon.
