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By Ori Martins
Obviously, Argentina is a superpower in global football. The South American country has produced a galaxy of international football stars. Furthermore, Argentina is the home of football, produces football legends and wins the World Cup three times and is ready for a fourth title.
However, Argentina’s glories at the World Cup have always been measured in controversy and dark clouds.
In 1978 Argentina hosted the rest of the world and eventually won the World Cup for the first time, but not without dents.
There was an accusation of match-fixing with Peru in the crucial stage of the semi-final of the 1978 World Cup final. For Argentina to actually qualify for the final match, the hosts had to beat Peru, at least, four unanswered goals. The match ended 6-0 against Peru.
On the way to that controversial match, during the first round stage, Peru beat Scotland 3-1, held a goalless draw against the Netherlands before expelling Iran, 4-1.
Peru then lost to Brazil 3-0, lost 1-0 to Poland and then lost 6-0 to Argentina. Various reports from that match authoritatively stated that there were elements of match fixing in that second round match. Argentina needed to beat Peru at least 4-0 to overtake Brazil on goal difference.
It was later discovered that the Peruvian goalkeeper was originally an Argentinian by birth who had decided to play for Peru, so he was presumed to have a role in the suspected match-fixing accusation.
The suspicion of match-fixing gained momentum when the Argentine military leader went to the Peruvian locker room and read a message of solidarity between Argentina and Peru that was based on “South American Understanding”. Such a scandal had never occurred in any World Cup match.
On the final day of the 1978 finals, Argentina deliberately arrived late to the pitch as Argentine players and officials questioned and protested “the legality of a plaster cast worn by Dutch striker René van de Kerkhof”. Therefore Holland was not only frustrated, but also psychologically depressed even before the match started.
Annoyed, the Netherlands refused to participate in any post-match activities, insisting that they had been robbed. Indeed, the man widely regarded as the world’s greatest player following Pele’s retirement from international football, Johan Cruyff, blatantly refused to participate in the 1978 World Cup finals in Argentina, claiming that there were clear indications that things would not go well, especially with the serious human rights abuses by the host military leader!
Eight years later, it was Maradona’s turn to shock the world with his Hand of God goal against England. It was a moment of pure football madness and magic. What Maradona did against England in 1986 in Mexico was pure disbelief.
Some say he served England well after his equally misnomer in 1966 at home in the final against then West Germany. Yet, in 1986, Maradona was the greatest, most brilliant and most followed footballer in the world.
His second goal against England after the Hand of God disaster was judged the best goal in football history by FIFA in 1999. Since then, it is doubtful whether anyone has been credited with a better performance. But the issue of crime still hovers over both Maradona and Argentina!
Before Argentina could win the War Cup, there had to be a Mario Kempes who scored two goals in the controversial 6-0 win against Peru (1978), Diego Maradona who scored a goal with his hand against England (1986), or Lionel Messi who scored penalties in almost every match he played (2022/23). All three iconic footballers had their respective glorious moments amid controversies, bruises and numerous unanswered questions.
Otherwise, how could it have been possible that, when Messi stunningly guided Argentina to World Cup victory, he touched the ball in front of a referee and got away with it in the quarter-final against the Netherlands in 2022/3?
So far in 2026, numerous informed international football commentators have argued that Messi and Argentina are treated favorably and have provided examples of their claims.
There are always controversies about Argentina and their World Cup glory, whether in 1978, 1986 or 2022/3, even, so far, in 2026!
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