Argentine FA prepares defamation lawsuits over World Cup misinformation campaign

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina — The Argentine Football Federation (AFA) is preparing a broad legal action against what it describes as a misinformation campaign targeting the national team and its players during the 2026 World Cup. The federation's legal team has been collecting digital evidence, including posts, screenshots, videos and comments, to support the planned filings. According to the Argentine newspaper La Nación, potential defendants include media outlets along with accounts, influencers and other users on X, Instagram and TikTok identified as having disseminated the content in question. The federation has cited unverified allegations, manipulated images and unsubstantiated accusations among the material it considers defamatory. The move follows Argentina's 1-0 loss to Spain in the World Cup final, where Lionel Messi and the defending champions finished as runners-up. Federation officials said the team was received warmly on its return to Argentina, but argued it faced a coordinated media and digital campaign during the tournament that went beyond ordinary criticism. Officials pointed to disputes over refereeing decisions, criticism of the team's playing style and allegations involving individual players, as well as images and posts circulated out of context. The AFA has not publicly announced specific defendants or a filing timeline.