Cristiano Ronaldo has sparked fresh online debate after his verified Instagram account appeared to ‘like’ a post accusing FIFA of corruption and alleging the body of helping Argentina reach the 2026 FIFA World Cup final.Although the original post is no longer available, fans were quick to notice the apparent like from Ronaldo’s verified account. Screenshots of the interaction have since gone viral across social media, reviving long-standing discussions surrounding the football icon’s perceived rivalry with Lionel Messi.What happened?Ahead of the FIFA World Cup final between Spain and Argentina, Spanish television programme Espejo Público shared an Instagram reel featuring journalist Pilar Rodríguez Losantos, who questioned Argentina’s run to the final and alleged that FIFA had shown favouritism towards the team.“Argentina are a team who should have been eliminated approximately five matches ago, but with the help of FIFA, which is one of the most corrupt institutions on planet Earth,” she said.“I’m not afraid of Argentina at all; I’m more afraid of Gianni Infantino. I think we’re not going to play against Argentina, but against the whole of FIFA, who want to hand the World Cup to Lionel Messi,” she added.Cristiano Ronaldo likes Instagram video accusing FIFA of corruption and alleging that they helped Argentina reach the World Cup final. pic.twitter.com/Lbk1MTlo0R— Pop Base (@PopBase) July 20, 2026Screenshots go viralScreenshots purportedly showing Ronaldo’s verified account liking the post quickly spread across social media, fuelling speculation among football fans.Claims that FIFA has favoured Argentina gained traction online after the team’s 3-2 victory over Egypt in the round of 16. Egypt alleged bias in favour of Argentina and favouritism towards, Lionel Messi and condemned it. Since then, there have been debates regarding refereeing decisions, Video Assistant Referee (VAR) interventions and tournament bias.Ronaldo has not publicly commented on the screenshots or explained why he liked it.