Is FIFA showing favoritism towards Argentina?

GD&TĐ - The draw that pits Argentina against the "tiny" Cape Verde, and potentially against Australia or Egypt, has sparked debate on social media about the 2026 World Cup.

Having brilliantly secured first place with three consecutive wins in the group stage, Argentina will face the surprise team Cape Verde in the Round of 16 at Miami Stadium (USA) at 5 AM on July 4th ( Hanoi time).

As soon as the knockout stage bracket was determined, many fans believed that the defending champions were "favored," being placed in a much more advantageous bracket than other top contenders.

If they defeat the team from a country with just over 500,000 inhabitants, coach Lionel Scaloni's team will face the winner of the Australia - Egypt match in the round of 16.

Argentina is in a favorable bracket at the 2026 World Cup .

Going further, Lionel Messi and his teammates could face one of four teams – Switzerland, Algeria, Colombia, or Ghana – in the quarter-finals. This means Argentina cannot meet any former World Cup champions before the semi-finals.

The real challenge for Argentina will only appear from the semi-finals onwards, when their opponent could be England or Brazil (barring any surprises).

With such a draw, many fans have questioned whether the World Football Federation (FIFA) is showing favoritism towards the defending champion.

"I don't want to say FIFA rigged the match, but only England and Brazil are the strongest opponents in Argentina's bracket. It seems like Argentina's path to the final is wide open," commented one fan.

Others compare it to the other half of the bracket, which includes many big names such as France, Germany, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Belgium, along with the two host teams, the USA and Canada.

You may also like

Paraguay sends Germany home after penalty shootout.Paraguay pulled off a major surprise by eliminating Germany in a penalty shootout in the round of 32 to secure their place in the Round of 16 of the 2026 World Cup.

Arsenal stars are the 'heroes' of the Brazilian national team.The Brazilian national team secured their place in the Round of 16 of the 2026 World Cup after a dramatic comeback victory against Japan, winning 2-1. In this match, Arsenal's stars played the role of 'heroes', making a significant contribution to helping the Seleção advance.

Cape Verde writes a World Cup fairy tale: 'Anything can happen'TPO - Cape Verde became the biggest sensation at the 2026 World Cup by securing a place in the knockout round on their first appearance. The team from the island nation of only about half a million people didn't win a single match in the group stage, but still wrote an inspiring story with their courageous fighting spirit and belief that anything is possible.

According to the current bracket, the winner of the Germany-Paraguay match will face the winner of the France-Sweden match in the Round of 16, while Spain or Austria will clash with Portugal or Croatia.

"Coincidentally, Argentina is in a very easy bracket to reach the final," another account commented.

A third person asserted: "Argentina is in the easiest bracket in World Cup history."

The branching diagram shows that Argentina has many advantages in their quest to secure a ticket to the 2026 World Cup final.

In fact, there is no basis for the claim that FIFA is showing favoritism towards the Argentine team. The knockout stage structure was announced in advance.

Lionel Messi and his teammates only have to face Cape Verde, then connect to the Australia-Egypt bracket, which is decided by the defending champion's first-place finish in Group J, along with the ranking of the teams after the group stage; it's not a new draw.

The Cape Verde team is also not an opponent that Argentina can underestimate. The African representative went unbeaten against Spain (0-0 draw), Uruguay (2-2), and Saudi Arabia (0-0) to qualify for the round of 32 in their first ever World Cup appearance.

Cape Verde also qualified for the round of 32 with an unbeaten record in the group stage of the 2026 World Cup.

Therefore, coach Lionel Scaloni and the Argentinian players all emphasized that they must not underestimate this highly disciplined opponent.

Of course, before the match kicked off, experts and fans alike rated Argentina far higher than the surprise team Cape Verde. Some even suggested this was an opportunity for Lionel Messi to continue scoring and further break World Cup records.

United States - Vietnam: Don't miss

Vietnam encourages US businesses to expand investment in high technology.On the morning of June 26th, at the Government Headquarters, Deputy Prime Minister Ho Quoc Dung received Mr. Jeff Place, Supply Chain Director of Coherent Group (USA). During the meeting, the Deputy Prime Minister affirmed that Vietnam encourages US businesses to expand investment, especially in high-tech, innovation, and semiconductor industries.

Encourage U.S. businesses to expand investment in high-tech sectors.Deputy Prime Minister Ho Quoc Dung said that Vietnam welcomes US businesses to continue expanding their operations in Vietnam, especially in high-tech industries and sectors with high added value.

Vietnam and the United States strengthen cooperation in addressing the consequences of war.VTV.vn - On June 22, General Secretary and President To Lam received Acting Secretary of the US Navy Hung Cao.

The eight-time Ballon d'Or winner has set a milestone by scoring in seven consecutive World Cup matches, bringing his total to 19 goals in the tournament.

The 39-year-old striker is also leading the race for the Golden Boot with 6 goals at the 2026 World Cup.

Source: https://giaoducthoidai.vn/fifa-uu-ai-argentina-post783267.html