Argentina fans demand World Cup final replay after Spain defeat as petition gets 61,500 signatures

• More than 61,500 people have signed a petition demanding a replay of the 2026 World Cup final.

• Argentina lost 1-0 to Spain after a goal from Ferran Torres in extra time.

• Fans questioned some refereeing decisions during the match.

• The petition does not have the authority to force FIFA to replay the final.

Argentina fans have launched a petition demanding that the 2026 FIFA World Cup final against Spain be replayed after their team’s defeat, with more than 61,500 signatures recorded so far.

The petition, created on Change.org, was started by an Argentine supporter, Gisela Sánchez, who called on FIFA to review the result of the final and consider replaying the match.

Argentina lost the final 1-0 to Spain after a closely contested encounter that went into extra time. Spain secured victory through a late goal from Ferran Torres, who scored in the 106th minute to give his country its second World Cup title.

The petition argues that some decisions made during the match by Slovenian referee Slavko Vinčić affected the outcome and should be reviewed by football authorities.

Supporters behind the campaign believe certain refereeing calls during the final were questionable and have asked FIFA to investigate the circumstances surrounding the defeat.

However, a petition on Change.org does not have the power to force FIFA to overturn an official match result or order a replay. FIFA’s competition rules only allow matches to be replayed under specific and exceptional circumstances recognised by football’s governing bodies.

Despite gaining thousands of signatures, the petition has not resulted in any indication from FIFA that the final result will be reviewed or changed.

The defeat was particularly emotional for Argentina supporters, who were hoping their team would retain the World Cup title after winning the 2022 tournament in Qatar.

The match was also seen as a significant moment for Argentina captain Lionel Messi, with many fans viewing it as potentially his final appearance at a World Cup.

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Argentina’s loss sparked disappointment among supporters, but many also celebrated the team’s performance throughout the tournament and their journey to another World Cup final.

Online petitions calling for major sporting decisions to be changed are not uncommon after controversial matches. However, they rarely lead to changes in official results unless football authorities identify serious breaches of the rules.

For now, Spain remains the official winner of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, while the Argentina fan petition continues to gather signatures.