Mexico City — An Argentine television network has included Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum on a list of 10 high-profile figures it accuses of promoting “argentinophobia” following Argentina’s heartbreaking 1-0 extra-time loss to Spain in the 2026 World Cup final.
The list, compiled by Jonatan Viale on the Todo Noticias network and reported by GiveMeSport, targets a diverse range of individuals from sports, politics, and entertainment who made comments perceived as anti-Argentina during or after the tournament.
Among those named were Egypt coach Hossam Hassan, who alleged FIFA favored Lionel Messi and Argentina after Egypt’s round-of-16 exit; British presenter Piers Morgan, who called Argentina’s behavior “disgusting” and called the team “a bunch of violent, nasty bullies”; and Hollywood actor Samuel L. Jackson, who reportedly called Argentina “one of the most racist countries in the world” after the final.
Other figures include U.S. streamer IShowSpeed, New York Mayor Zohran Mamdan, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, Spanish singer Rosalía, Chilean actor Pedro Pascal, Spanish streamer Ibai, and former Lebanese adult film star Mia Khalifa.
Argentina’s President Javier Milei responded defiantly on social media, writing: “The problem with Argentina is that we stand out. We don’t go unnoticed, people envy us and we are good at almost everything. Sorry, but someone had to say it.” He added the rallying cry: “Long live Argentina, damn it!”
Players also reacted. Lisandro Martínez urged resilience, saying, “Remember that ‘the fall of the great is the joy of the mediocre.’” Liverpool star Alexis Mac Allister echoed similar sentiments, thanking those who mocked their pain for inadvertently strengthening national pride.
The defeat, which saw Ferran Torres score the winner for Spain, ended Argentina’s near-perfect tournament run that included group-stage wins over Algeria, Austria, and Jordan, and knockout victories against Cape Verde, Egypt, Switzerland, and England.
