Four conspiracy theories emerge after 2026 World Cup final

The internet is buzzing with conspiracy theories after Argentina's 1-0 defeat to Spain in the 2026 World Cup final, with "something happened" becoming a common refrain online. These theories span alleged hidden pressures, political agreements, premeditated refereeing errors, and even supposed rituals.

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Something happened

One theory posits that Spain secured the World Cup by allowing the U.S. to use its Rota and Morón military bases for attacks on Iran. This claim, however, directly contradicts the Spanish government's prior official statements denying U.S. military use of these bases. Another theory suggests FIFA pressured Argentina to lose, threatening a 10-year ban over a "Malvinas are Argentine" banner displayed after their semifinal win against England. While FIFA confirmed investigating sanctions, its disciplinary code typically involves warnings or fines, not decade-long suspensions for such offenses.

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Spain agreed with the United States to allow the use of the Rota and Morón military bases to carry out attacks against Iran in exchange for winning the World Cup

A third theory focuses on a photograph of Lionel Messi with a baby Lamine Yamal, interpreting it as a Masonic ritual or "entity transfer" linked to numerical patterns in the final. The image, however, was taken in 2007 for a UNICEF calendar, with Yamal's family participating in a charity raffle. The photographer noted that Messi was not yet a global star and the family might have preferred other Barcelona players at the time.

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FIFA forced Argentina to lose the final under threat of suspending its national team for 10 years for displaying a banner with the message 'The Malvinas are Argentine'

Finally, the refereeing has come under intense scrutiny, with over 50,000 signatures collected for a petition to replay the final. Argentinian fans question the officiating, fueling claims that the referees were bribed. These theories, while widespread, often lack concrete evidence, relying instead on speculation and selective interpretation of events.

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The refereeing has also been called into question by many Argentinians, to the point that more than 50,000 signatures have been collected for the final to be replayed