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Former Referee Admits He Favored Messi in Copa America Match as Argentina Favoritism Claims Continue
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- Former Referee Admits He Favored Messi in Copa America Match as Argentina Favoritism Claims Continue
Argentina has been one of the most talked-about teams at the 2026 FIFA World Cup , and not always for the right reasons. The defending champions are pushing hard for back-to-back titles, and their run has been electric.
They came back from 2-0 down against Egypt in the Round of 16, flipping it to 3-2 in the final 15 minutes. The belief in this group is obvious and the chemistry even more so. But the conversation around Argentina hasn't just been about the soccer.
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Referees have been at the center of it too. Critics across the soccer world have been pointing to a pattern of calls that seem to go Argentina's way. Lionel Messi escaped without even a yellow card in the group stage opener against Algeria after a poor tackle on defender Aissa Mandi.
More recently, Egypt had a goal wiped out by VAR after the referee went back to review a foul on Lisandro Martinez that had been missed in real time. The debate around favoritism has been building, and it just got more fuel.
Carlos Chandia Confession Puts Messi and Argentina Back in the Spotlight
A resurfaced clip from a years-old interview with former World Cup referee Carlos Chandia has added a new layer to the discussion. Chandia officiated at the 2006 World Cup and the 2005 FIFA Club World Cup and is now a politician in Chile.
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The quote, recently shared on X by The Touchmine, takes people back to the 2007 Copa America semifinal between Argentina and Mexico, a game Chandia was in charge of.
Per The Mirror , Chandia admitted he made a deliberate call in Messi's favor with the game already settled.
"Out of nowhere, Messi lifts a ball and touches it with his hand, but it's at midfield. There was no goal-scoring chance for the Mexican team or anything like that. So I told him: 'This play is a yellow card, but it will cost you your jersey.' And I didn't show him the yellow card; there were two and a half minutes left and the score was 3-0."
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Chandia then went further, explaining exactly why he held back and what it ended up costing him personally.
"Showing him the yellow card would have taken away his chance to play in the Copa America final. In the end, that yellow card cost me the opportunity to referee the 2007 Copa America final in Venezuela."
Messi apparently kept his end of the deal, giving Chandia his jersey after the final whistle.
Whether these resurfaced comments change anything is another matter. The FIFA referee committee has been firm that no outside influence touches how their officials operate on the pitch.
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Teams like Cape Verde, Egypt, Algeria and Austria may have grievances, but the tournament moves forward regardless. Argentina is into the quarterfinals now with Switzerland up next.
Related: FBI Makes Major Move Against Argentine Football Association During World Cup
This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Jul 9, 2026, where it first appeared in the Soccer section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
