Egyptian World Cup Exit Sparks Baseless Antisemitic Conspiracy Theories Online

Following Egypt's dramatic 3-2 loss to Argentina in the World Cup round of 16, social media has been flooded with unfounded antisemitic conspiracy theories blaming Israel and Israeli figures for Egypt's elimination. The controversy began with criticism of refereeing decisions but quickly escalated into viral posts, videos, and memes alleging secret ties between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Argentine President Javier Milei, politician Gideon Sa'ar, FIFA, and Lionel Messi. These claims lack any factual basis.

One prominent voice in this wave was Egyptian commentator Mohamed Nour, who accused Israel and FIFA of influencing the match and even claimed that Argentina's team is effectively "Israeli par excellence." Nour referenced the friendly relations between Milei and Netanyahu and falsely asserted that Yair Netanyahu was responsible for Messi's move to the MLS club Inter Miami. While Messi has visited Israel and met the Netanyahu family, there is no evidence linking Israel to the outcome of the match or Messi's career decisions.

Social media posts further distorted a video showing Gideon Sa'ar speaking to Milei and Netanyahu, where Sa'ar expressed hope Argentina would win the World Cup. These clips were framed as proof of behind-the-scenes manipulation, despite lacking any supporting evidence. Additional posts combined images of Messi, Netanyahu, and Milei to suggest Israeli influence over FIFA or referees, fueling antisemitic narratives without any documentation.

The Egypt-Argentina match controversy illustrates how sporting frustrations can rapidly morph into antisemitic and anti-Israel conspiracy theories online, exploiting a genuine diplomatic moment and a high-profile sporting event to spread baseless accusations.