A viral video on social media shows a football fan dressed up as a thief while wearing an Argentina shirt with Lionel Messi’s famous number 10. In the video, the fan holds up a fake World Cup trophy, making millions of people laugh online.
Fan wears thief costume with Messi jersey
The clip, which has gathered millions of views across X, TikTok, and Instagram, features the individual wearing a traditional burglar eye mask alongside Argentina's blue-and-white shirt, brandishing the trophy in a direct visual jab at Argentina’s 2022 World Cup victory in Qatar.
Wearing a thief mask is a common joke among football fans online, who often tease rival teams by saying they "stole" a win or got lucky decisions from the referee. However, the fan in question has only reignited debate on whether Messi 'stole' the trophy with institutional help.
The costume explicitly targets long-running online claims that Argentina’s 2022 World Cup triumph was aided by favorable officiating. Critics routinely highlight the five penalties awarded to Argentina during the tournament—a record for a single team in World Cup history—to argue the campaign was biased toward securing Messi a international title.
FIFA Corruption case
The legal controversy surrounding the Argentine Football Association (AFA) centers on investigations in both Argentina and the United States over alleged financial misconduct and money laundering. In Argentina, federal prosecutors and tax authorities have raided AFA headquarters over suspected tax evasion, hidden currency movements, and the handling of millions of dollars in 2022 World Cup prize funds.
