Argentine Deputy Lilia Lemoine, a right-wing legislator, has defended the national football team after it faced criticism during the 2026 World Cup over its racial composition, according to Infohub.kz, citing NUR.KZ and Championat.
In an interview with Chilean outlet BBCL, as translated by Championat, Lemoine said the attacks on Argentina's team stem from the absence of black players. "Our team is being attacked because there are no colored players. They are all white. The hatred directed at our team during this and past World Cups is due to the lack of black footballers. That's why we've been called racists. There are no black players in the squad, but there are players from very modest backgrounds, from the poorest sectors of society," the deputy said.
Lemoine also sharply criticized the United States and other countries accusing Argentina of racism. "If there are serious problems with racism anywhere, it's the United States. The countries with the biggest problems are in Africa. Slavery began there and ended in the West. So it's absurd to call Western people racists and slave owners. This hatred is being pushed by leftist, indigenist, progressive, Soviet movements. Just as they tried to set men against women through feminazism, now they are trying to set black people against white people. They seek to divide people," the politician added.
It is worth recalling that even before the end of the 2026 World Cup, a petition was launched demanding Argentina's expulsion from the tournament. Within the first few days, it gathered over 3 million signatures. The petition's authors claimed the team showed biased behavior toward other players.