The agreement to organize a friendly match between Mexico and Argentina ahead of the 2026 World Cup collapsed following questionable payment requests from the Argentine Football Association (AFA).
Accordingly, the Mexican Football Federation (FMF) decided to withdraw from the negotiations after the partner side offered non-transparent payment methods.
The Argentine side (AFA) was reportedly requested Mexico to split the match appearance fee worth $6 million into three different bank accounts. This unusual move immediately raised suspicions of financial fraud within Mexican football circles.
Concerned about legal risks and the implications of a suspicious activity, the FMF leadership decided to terminate all agreements instead of getting bogged down further in the matter. “El Tri” later had two friendly matches with Serbia (June 4) and South Africa (June 11) to prepare for the 2026 World Cup.
This scandal not only caused fans to lose the opportunity to witness an exciting match but also damaged the reputation of the parties involved. Currently, the media is still waiting for an official response from the Argentine Football Association regarding the aforementioned allegations of “splitting the cash flow”.
On the players’ side, Lionel Messi and his teammates are in the process of preparing for the 2026 World Cup semi-final match. The South American representative will clash with the England team in the early morning of July 16.
