A petition calling for a replay of the 2026 World Cup final between Argentina and Spain has already garnered over 80,700 signatures. The petition’s authors allege that Slovenian referee Slavko Vinčić exhibited “controversial and corrupt” officiating and are urging FIFA to review several of his decisions during the match.
Argentina’s defeat to Spain in the final, which took place on Sunday, July 19, at the MetLife stadium in New Jersey, has ignited protests that have persisted for several days following the final whistle. Fan Gisela Sánchez initiated the petition on Change.org, calling on FIFA to replay the match. The petitioners argue that the outcome was determined by a goal from Ferran Torres in extra time. At the time of publication, the petition had amassed over 80,739 signatures.
Accusations against the referee and lack of evidence
The petition accuses Slovenian referee Slavko Vinčić of “controversial and corrupt” officiating and calls on the governing body to reassess the decisions made during the match. However, the author does not provide verified evidence to substantiate these claims, citing only videos circulating on social media that, according to her, show decisions favoring Spain.
FIFA‘s regulations permit a match to be replayed only in exceptional circumstances, particularly in cases of serious violations of competition rules or a corresponding decision by the appropriate bodies before the official confirmation of the result. The petition on Change.org, regardless of the number of signatures, holds no legal or sporting weight and does not alter the match result or the world champion title awarded to Spain.
Source: According to Euronews
