Mariano Closs on 2026 World Cup final conspiracy theories: 'I turned off my phone for 10 days'

Argentine sports commentator Mariano Closs took an extreme measure to escape the fallout from the 2026 World Cup final, disabling his phone for 10 days amid a storm of conspiracy theories surrounding Spain's 1-0 victory over Argentina.

Closs recounted how media calls flooded in immediately after the match, pushing narratives of conspiracies and alleged fixes. "I swear I said, 'What are they talking about?'" Closs confessed, describing his bewilderment. His drastic response was to disconnect entirely: "And you know what I did? For 10 days, I turned off my phone."

He described the period of disconnection as "the best 10 days of my life without an open phone." Closs, speaking humorously, even referenced a vintage Motorola phone model, the Star-TAC, as he explained his temporary digital detox. He eventually reconnected by focusing on a simple statement from Argentine player Facundo Medina, who reportedly dismissed his mother's insinuations about the match being fixed.

"Give me a break! Stop messing around! We lost and we have to accept it," Medina allegedly told his mother. Closs echoed this sentiment, insisting, "For me, they played badly." The discussion extended to other panelists, one of whom suggested poor communication might be the issue if even family members were voicing such concerns.

The conspiracy theories, which gained traction on social media, alleged a politically motivated fix orchestrated by FIFA, involving the FBI, and suggested player pressure in the locker rooms. Isolated gestures and plays were misinterpreted as hidden messages. However, these rumors quickly dissipated due to a lack of evidence, remaining largely as viral social media phenomena and anecdotes.