Multiple reports examine allegations that FIFA World Cup 2026 officiating is rigged in favour of Argentina, focusing specifically on VAR-related decisions involving Lionel Messi’s team. The coverage notes that Argentina is often described as the “most favoured” side when looking at VAR outcomes, which fuels the broader “rigged” narrative. However, the articles also say the underlying VAR data does not fully support the strongest version of that claim. Instead, the reports indicate that when the VAR record is examined more closely, Argentina’s advantages are not as clear-cut as the headlines suggest. In other words, while Argentina appears frequently in contexts associated with positive VAR calls, the overall pattern shown by the dataset reflects a more mixed picture rather than consistent one-sided decision-making. The articles therefore frame the issue as a question of interpretation of VAR statistics: one reading suggests Argentina benefits more than other teams, while another reading, based on the same figures, suggests the evidence is not definitive proof of manipulation. The coverage remains focused on VAR decision patterns rather than other match factors.