Fact check: FIFA announced clear mistakes were made by the referee and VAR during a match between Argentina and Egypt.

Verdict: false — Trust Score 15/100

The post falsely claims that FIFA announced clear referee and VAR mistakes, that there is suspicion of bribery between Lionel Messi and Gianni Infantino, that Argentina will be disqualified from the 2026 FIFA World Cup, and that Messi and Infantino could face jail time. While there were controversies and complaints regarding refereeing decisions in the Argentina vs. Egypt match, FIFA's chief refereeing officer defended the decisions, and there is no evidence to support the bribery allegations, disqualification, or potential jail time. refuted by 7 sources.

false verification card — Trust Score 15/100
Platform
threads
Source author
goallineguru — see all fact-checks of this account
Original post
https://www.threads.com/@goallineguru/post/DalOGS0jpBp?xmt=AQG0sRko5zMxKx14cuDACN7IXE6HVhsjTAX3suI7zmlAUy0D6rYWNMl7WqUWjcGVsFdFCpm5
Verified on
July 10, 2026
Verification ID
hKmb1DsofiAhKJ9Su7DcQA

Original content reviewed

Platform: THREADS Author: @goallineguru --- Caption/Description --- BREAKING: FIFA has announced that there were clear mistakes made by the referee and the VAR during the match between ▓Argentina and ▓Egypt. There is also suspicion of bribery between Lionel Messi and the president of FIFA, Gianni Infantino. As a result, ▓Argentina will be disqualified from the 2026 edition of the FIFA World Cup, and Messi and Infantino could face jail time. --- Carousel/Slides (7 items) --- Slide 1 (image): Text: Mal @UtdMal There's something strange about this World Cup, but somehow everyone is pretending it looks normal. France are fighting for their lives in the Round of 16. Brazil already had a tough first knockout game. England have a serious opponent in the Round of 16. Portugal had a difficult group and now have Spain waiting. Every big team has had to suffer somewhere. Except one. SPORT BIBLE SOURCE PLATFORM: X Slide 2 (image): Text: 2:45 641 13 4 14 brilamedia 3h Kingsley Obiekwu: "There was a joke while I was hanging out with friends. One person said, 'While other nations are playing the World Cup, Argentina are playing AFCON.' It was funny because it almost sounded true, they keep playing African nations." BM BRILA MEDIA “ ” WHILE OTHER NATIONS ARE PLAYING THE WORLD CUP, ARGENTINA ARE PLAYING AFCON. KINGSLEY OBIEKWU VIA NO HOLDS BARRED 69 26 2 8 shihab.ahmed.shayan 3h Toni Kroos on Portugal's national team: "First of all, congratulations to Portugal. If the objective was to move on from Cristiano Ronaldo, then you've achieved it." SOURCE PLATFORM: Instagram Slide 3 (image): Text: THE MEEZAN INSIGHT 2026 FIFA BREAKING ARGENTINA HAS BECOME THE NATIONAL TEAM WITH THE MOST (19) PENALTIES AWARDED IN WORLD CUP HISTORY SURPASSING SPAIN (18) - FIFA World Cup 2026 Verify at: TheMeezanInsight.com/gallery Slide 4 (image): Text: The Touchmine | T @TouchmineX 🚨 | STAT: Penalties taken in the last 2 World Cups: 🇦🇷 Lionel Messi — 9 🇫🇷 🇧🇷 🇩🇪 🇪🇸 🇵🇹 (comb

Claims analyzed (4)

  1. misleading: FIFA announced clear mistakes were made by the referee and VAR during a match between Argentina and Egypt.
    FIFA's chief refereeing officer, Pierluigi Collina, addressed the controversial decisions in the Argentina vs. Egypt match, defending the VAR's call to disallow Egypt's goal and the decision not to award a penalty to Egypt. While the Egyptian Football Association lodged a formal complaint and criticized the officiating, FIFA did not announce 'clear mistakes' but rather defended the integrity of the decisions.
  2. false: There is suspicion of bribery between Lionel Messi and FIFA president Gianni Infantino.
    While there have been general allegations of bias and corruption surrounding FIFA and Gianni Infantino, particularly after comments he made about 'suffering with Argentina' and perceived favoritism, no credible evidence has emerged to support specific bribery allegations between Lionel Messi and Infantino. News reports indicate that images of Infantino reacting to the Argentina-Egypt match were false and not taken during the game, and these images were used to fuel unverified claims of favoritis
  3. false: Argentina will be disqualified from the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
    There is no official announcement or credible news report stating that Argentina will be disqualified from the 2026 FIFA World Cup. While there were reports in December 2025 about a potential disqualification due to a corruption case within the Argentine Football Association (AFA) and alleged government interference, these were conditional and no official decision has been made. Argentina has continued to play in the tournament.
  4. false: Lionel Messi and Gianni Infantino could face jail time.
    There are no credible reports or official statements indicating that Lionel Messi or Gianni Infantino are facing jail time. While there have been allegations of corruption and bias surrounding FIFA and its president, these have not led to any charges or legal proceedings that would result in jail time for either individual.

Sources consulted (9)

Related verifications

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