World Cup Conspiracy Theory Shows There Is No Limit to Israel Haters’ Absurdity

Jews have been blamed for nearly everything under the sun, including bad weather.

Had Argentina won the World Cup Final at MetLife Arena in New Jersey on July 19, the absurd conspiracy theory might have continued. Spain dominated Argentina, not even allowing a single shot in regular time, with Spain’s forward Ferran Torres getting the game’s only goal as Spain won the final 1-0.

But it was the July 7 game in the Round of 16 that had people going wild.

Late in that game, Egypt’s coach Hossam Hassan likely thought this was the best day of his life. The 2022 World Cup winner, Argentina, was heavily favored over Egypt in the Round of 16. Despite being 39 and no longer a max effort player, Argentina’s Lionel Messi still has tremendous skill and is viewed by many as the greatest soccer player of all time. Goalie Mostafa Shobeir made a tremendous save on a Messi shot. Egypt was up 2-0 nearing the 80^th minute. In soccer, there are 90 minutes of regulation, followed by extra time, as the clock doesn’t stop. The baseball equivalent would be to be up 5-0 in the ninth inning. Victory would seem like a sure thing.

Tom Hanks said there’s no crying in baseball, and, well, Hassan did cry when his team ultimately lost 3-2 to Argentina. I don’t blame him for that.

But he made an “X” sign, which is often viewed as a gesture against racism, though he later said it was not. He looked like he was furious with a photographer and was angry when Argentina fans in the stands waved an Israeli flag.

“We looked better than the reigning champions – better in everything – but the result was influenced by internal factors on the pitch and external factors off it,” Hassan told reporters. “Perhaps they wanted to keep the world champion in the competition. Perhaps they wanted Messi to stay in the running.”

While Hassan did not specifically blame Israel, that did not stop some others. Egyptian commentator Mohammed Nour said the following: “We played against Argentina, but also against FIFA and Israel. Very strange things happened there. They set boundaries for Egypt – and it was forbidden to cross them. They didn’t allow the Palestinian flag to be brought in, in front of billions of viewers.”

But that was not enough.

“The Argentina national team is an Israeli team par excellence,” Nour said. “The president of Argentina is one of Benjamin Netanyahu’s best friends. Messi has visited Israel several times, even worn a kippah, and prayed at the Western Wall.”

Anyone seeing the rise in antisemitism and anti-Zionism online recognizes the phrases “he got the call” or “he kissed the wall.” It means that someone is controlled by Israel and got a call to do something or kissed the Kotel and is owned by Israel.

Indeed, there is a picture from 2013 of Messi with a kippah at the Kotel. But what this propagandist won’t tell you is that Messi had soccer clinics for both Israeli and Palestinian children. They don’t mention that part because it doesn’t fit with the conspiracy theory. Photos showed that Messi met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu but did not show that he also met Palestinian leader Mahmud Abbas.

Interestingly, when Argentina defeated England to get to the final against Spain, British fans didn’t say there was any conspiracy.

After Egypt defeated Australia 4-2 in the previous match, Hassan raised the Palestinian flag to chants of “Free Palestine” from the crowd.

He said in a post-game press conference: “My heart and soul are with them. May G-d have mercy on their martyrs. I dedicate this victory to the Egyptian people and to the Palestinian people, the good and noble people.”

The World Cup gets more attention than any other sports tournament. USA Today reported that a record-breaking 6.8 million fans attended matches in America, Canada, and Mexico. It is estimated that up to six billion people watched or streamed games.

Israel did not compete in the World Cup.

Another bizarre element is that someone made a false edit regarding the referee who disallowed an Egyptian goal. It claimed that referee Francois Letexier was born into an “Orthodox Jewish family,” citing a 2017 article, but the article, according to reports, said nothing about his religion. Still, the claim spread on X, claiming this was evidence of a Zionist conspiracy.

CyberWell is an organization that monitors antisemitic posts online. “The World Cup commands a global stage of billions, and that visibility is exploited by those seeking to spread antisemitic conspiracy theories,” said CyberWell founder and CEO Tal-Or Cohen Montemayor in a statement on her website. “The targeting of Lionel Messi, the invocation of the Protocols of the Elders of Zion, and claims that Jews control FIFA all rely on the same idea: that Jewish people are the secret master manipulators of the world. When these narratives are repeatedly amplified on digital platforms, they reinforce this corrosive conspiracy theory as mainstream conversation, normalizing antisemitism and making the centuries-old hatred appear acceptable.”

The Argentina jersey features the colors of blue and white, the same colors as Israel’s flag.

Jew-haters will likely move on to the next conspiracy theory. Though the match was mostly scoreless until near the end, Spain dominated Argentina with 19 shots on goal to none for Argentina at one point. Argentina eventually did get a great shot to tie the game, but the ball was overshot and sailed high over the goalpost. Had Argentina won, the conspiracy theories likely would have continued.