Former Super Eagles captain John Mikel Obi has shot down rumours that FIFA is favouring Lionel Messi and Argentina at the 2026 World Cup, saying the theories come from Cristiano Ronaldo’s fans.
He made the comments on The Rest Is Football podcast while previewing Wednesday’s semi-final between defending champions Argentina and England.
The chat was sparked by former England midfielder Joe Cole, who said, “I think the whole world wants Lionel Messi in the final.”
Cole added a cheeky warning about Argentina’s tactics: “They’re going to have to deal with the shithousery from the Argentinians… If I’m the manager, I would buy into that, and I think they’ll target Jude Bellingham. I think you’ll see De Paul niggling at him. He plays on the edge,” Cole said.
Cole was at pains to say he wasn’t accusing FIFA of fixing anything: “I’m not saying there’s anything, any skulduggery at all, from FIFA; the vibes of the world want Argentina to get there because they want Messi to get there,” he added.
Mikel was blunt in response, insisting Argentina’s run is down to performance, not favouritism. “I’m not buying into that bullshit. This is all the Ronaldo fans coming up with all this crap,” Mikel said.
He argued Argentina earned an easier path by winning their group: “If they won their games, which they should have done, they would not play tougher teams. Argentina did their job, they won their games, and they got into the easier group.
“So this is all Ronaldo fans. I don’t like that. FIFA are not favouring Messi.”
