Argentina starter bats away controversy and praises Copa referees 🗣️ | OneFootball

Amid the controversies surrounding refereeing at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Argentina starter Lisandro Martínez dismissed accusations of alleged favoritism toward Lionel Messi & Co.'s team.

"No, absolutely none. I think they are doing an excellent job. That’s something for you [the press], who sometimes create the controversies. We focus on giving our best on the pitch and nothing else," he said.

After Argentina’s dramatic qualification, when they pulled off a spectacular late comeback to win 3-2 against Egypt, the Egyptian Football Association formally protested the use of VAR, with special focus on the disallowed goal by Mostafa Zico in the 17th minute of the second half.

FIFA’s head of refereeing, Pierluigi Collina, however, defended the officials on the field, rejected any suggestion of favoritism toward the reigning champions, and stressed the independence of the decisions made by the VAR team.

Focus on the quarter-finals

Argentina return to action this Saturday (11) in Kansas City to face Switzerland in the quarter-finals.

Despite the South Americans’ favoritism, the squad is preaching caution against the strong European side, which comes in with momentum after knocking out Colombia.

Lisandro Martínez highlighted the opponent’s qualities.

"As always, what defines this team is respect for the opponent. If Switzerland have reached this stage, it’s because they have a lot of merit. [...] They are very strong physically and also on set pieces. I think it will be a great spectacle," he said.

Fellow center-back Cristian Romero, who scored the first goal of the comeback against Egypt, echoed his teammate’s view, saying that Argentina’s main concern should be their own improvement.

"Regardless of who we face, the name of the opponent, or where they come from, we always focus on ourselves and on correcting the mistakes we make," he added.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.

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