An online petition to ban Argentina from the World Cup reportedly topped 23 million signatures, and comedian Hiroaki Ogi's remark that 'only soccer has no sportsmanship' reignited a debate—Japanese commenters split between demanding sanctions, defending Argentina's hunger to win, and criticizing a sport that treats diving and rough play as clever technique.
After losing the World Cup final to Spain, Argentina's players were involved in post-match clashes, and FIFA opened a formal disciplinary probe. Reports of fans rioting in Buenos Aires and a separate racism controversy from the tournament fed the same thread. Japanese commenters largely treated it as a story about national character and bad manners, contrasting South American fan culture with the tidy, trash-collecting image of Japanese supporters. Many demanded FIFA hand down real punishment rather than settle for an inquiry, while a self-aware minority noted that Japan's own J.League isn't so different and that the 'clean' reputation only shows up at the World Cup itself.
After England lost to Argentina, a British journalist said Argentines celebrate because 'football is all they have,' and it went viral in Japan. Alongside South Korea's looming dog-meat ban, netizens argued over prejudice, tact, and whether any culture can judge another's food.
At a FIFA reception, Trump pushed to host a future World Cup solo while revealing that President Infantino had suggested a US-China co-hosting. Meanwhile, Argentina's finalists raised a Falklands banner after beating England, prompting a FIFA investigation. Japanese commenters saw both stories as evidence of politics and commercialism creeping into the tournament.
In Argentina, a veteran flight instructor jumped from a Cessna at 250 meters mid-lesson, telling his 22-year-old trainee 'you can do it,' and she landed the plane alone; authorities ruled it a suicide. In a separate case, a Russian influencer dumped huge amounts of dry ice into a pool for a party fog effect in an enclosed space, killing three by carbon-dioxide poisoning. Japanese netizens praised the trainee's composure while questioning aviation safety and mocking influencer recklessness.