Racist chants and French referee: Argentina tensions with France escalate before World Cup

Videos of Argentine supporters chanting racist songs against France’s players, combined with the appointment of French referee François Letexier for the Argentina-Egypt round-of-16 tie, have escalated tensions between the two nations before they potentially meet in the 2026 World Cup final.

In footage widely shared on social media, Argentine supporters chant: “Let them come with their papers, let them go play for Angola if they have the courage,” a reference to the origins of several French internationals. The video sparked numerous reactions and reignited tensions between the two camps, as France—already qualified for the quarter-finals where it will face Morocco on Thursday—could face Argentina in the final.

Letexier’s appointment to referee the Argentina-Egypt clash triggered a wave of discontent in Argentina. On X, accusations of favoritism multiplied—“Unfair decision,” “They want France to win the World Cup,” “We’re going to be robbed”—and several Argentine media outlets relayed the concern. Gente de Salta headlined: “The least desirable choice: Argentina assigned a French refereeing team with controversial precedents for its round-of-16 against Egypt.” La Nación, TyC Sports and El Argentino also questioned the appointment.

To support their distrust, Argentine media recalled a previous incident involving Letexier during a European match between Gianluca Prestianni and Vinicius Junior. The referee had stopped the match after being alerted by the Brazilian striker to discriminatory insults. Play resumed after eight minutes without an immediate red card, but Prestianni was later suspended for six matches—three of them suspended—by UEFA for homophobic conduct. This precedent, combined with the sporting rivalry between France and Argentina, fuels fears of refereeing deemed potentially unfavorable by part of the Argentine camp.

Argentina must first eliminate Egypt in the round-of-16 before considering a confrontation with France. But the controversy is already well underway.