Lionel Messi and La Albiceleste suffered a 1-0 defeat to La Roja at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey on July 19th. Ferran Torres’ extra-time winner meant the reigning European champions became two-time world champions.
Controversy ensued throughout a tense battle as Enzo Fernandez received a red card for two reckless bookings. Several refereeing decisions upset Argentine players and supporters.
So much so, a post-match brawl unfolded when Argentine midfielder Leandro Paredes threw punches at Spain’s Gavi. Other incidents also took place as the South American nation reacted furiously to their loss.
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An Argentine fan, Gisela Sanchez, has since created a petition on Change.org asking FIFA to replay the World Cup final. As of Friday morning, it sits at 95,710 signatures, with those signing in agreement with Sanchez’s issues about Slovakian referee Slavko Vincic.
Sanchez claimed that several decisions Vincic and his officiating team made impacted the outcome of the final. She wants FIFA to review incidents and irregularities, claiming ‘this isn’t just a matter of justice for Argentina, but for the future of world football.”
The chances of FIFA deciding to replay the final are all but certainly ruled out because petitions on platforms such as Change.org have no legal or regulatory authority over FIFA competitions. Despite the tens of thousands who took issue with Vincic and his team, a World Cup result can’t be overturned because fans are unhappy with refereeing decisions.
Only under “extraordinary circumstances” would a replay be required, and football governing bodies usually only consider replays in rare cases involving specific rule violations. Even if the petition reaches hundreds of thousands of signatures, it will have no legal or binding effect on the result.
