Social media has been flooded with sensational claims in recent days. Some posts allege that the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is investigating the Argentine Football Association (AFA) because of Argentina’s controversial World Cup victory over Egypt. Others go even further, claiming FIFA President Gianni Infantino, Lionel Messi and Argentina are being investigated over alleged match-fixing.
Those claims have spread rapidly, but they leave out the most important part of the story. The reported U.S. investigation did not begin because Argentina defeated Egypt. It did not begin because Lionel Messi won the World Cup. Instead, it appears to stem from a long-running commercial dispute that began years before the current controversy. Here’s how the story unfolded.
From a 2021 Commercial Deal to a Broken Partnership
The roots of the dispute reportedly go back to 2021. Argentine businessman Guillermo Tofoni, through his company World Eleven, says he signed an exclusive commercial agreement with the AFA. According to Tofoni, the contract gave his company the exclusive right to organise and market Argentina’s international friendly matches around the world until 2030. These rights are extremely valuable. Whenever Argentina plays a friendly abroad, organisers pay appearance fees, television companies buy broadcasting rights, and sponsors pay to associate their brands with one of football’s biggest national teams. At the time, Argentina was already a major football nation, but nobody could have predicted what would happen a year later.
Everything changed after the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. Argentina lifted the World Cup for the first time since 1986, and Lionel Messi completed the one major achievement missing from his career. Overnight, Argentina became one of the hottest commercial brands in world football. Demand for Argentina friendlies exploded, countries wanted Argentina to visit, sponsors wanted new partnerships, and broadcasters were willing to pay significantly more for television rights. Argentina’s commercial value had increased dramatically — and that increase in value lies at the heart of the dispute. After Argentina became world champions, Tofoni alleges that the AFA stopped honouring the agreement with World Eleven and instead granted commercial rights to another company. If true, that would mean the company holding the original contract lost access to one of football’s most valuable commercial assets. The AFA has consistently denied wrongdoing, arguing that its commercial arrangements are legitimate and rejecting allegations that it acted unlawfully. At this stage, the disagreement became more than a business dispute — it turned into a legal battle.
Lawsuits, Allegations, and Why the U.S. Got Involved
As the relationship deteriorated, lawsuits followed. Tofoni publicly alleged that there were irregularities in the AFA’s international commercial operations, and that some financial transactions linked to Argentina’s overseas business deserved closer examination. These allegations remain allegations — they have not been proven in court. However, they eventually attracted the attention of U.S. authorities because many of the reported commercial transactions passed through companies and financial institutions based in the United States.
Many people have asked a simple question: why would the FBI investigate an Argentine football association? The answer is jurisdiction. According to reports, part of the AFA’s international commercial business was handled through a U.S.-based company called TourProdEnter LLC, and more than US$300 million reportedly moved through U.S. banks and companies during these commercial operations. Whenever large international financial transactions pass through the United States, American authorities may have legal authority to investigate if they believe U.S. financial laws could have been violated. That does not automatically mean anyone committed a crime — it simply means U.S. authorities believe they have jurisdiction to examine the transactions.Reports suggest investigators are examining whether financial transactions involving the AFA complied with U.S. law, including possible money laundering, possible wire fraud, whether shell companies were used, and whether financial transactions were accurately represented. These are serious allegations, but it is important to understand the difference between an allegation and a proven crime. At this stage, an investigation exists to determine whether any laws were broken — it does not establish guilt.
Guillermo Tofoni is not a random football fan. He has spent years working in international football business, is known for organising international matches and commercial events, and has worked as a FIFA-licensed match agent. Because he previously worked with the AFA, he claims to possess documents and first-hand knowledge about Argentina’s overseas commercial activities, and reports indicate that U.S. investigators interviewed him as part of their inquiry. That does not mean everything he says is automatically true — investigators often interview complainants, former business partners and whistleblowers to determine whether allegations are supported by evidence. The AFA, for its part, has denied wrongdoing. It has rejected allegations that its commercial operations were illegal and maintains that its agreements were lawful. Like any organisation under scrutiny, it is entitled to present its side and defend itself, and until any court reaches a conclusion, the allegations remain unproven.
How Social Media Got the Story Wrong
The timing created enormous confusion. The reports about the commercial investigation surfaced while Argentina was playing in the World Cup. At almost the same time, Argentina’s dramatic victory over Egypt produced fierce debate over refereeing decisions. Social media quickly combined the two stories. Within hours, posts began claiming: “The FBI is investigating Argentina because of the Egypt match,” “The FBI is investigating Messi,” and “The FBI is investigating FIFA for helping Argentina.” Those claims spread widely, but they mixed two completely separate issues. One concerns a reported commercial and financial investigation. The other concerns football decisions made during a World Cup match. There is no credible evidence that the reported U.S. investigation was opened because of Argentina’s victory over Egypt or because of refereeing decisions in that match. The situation became worse after fake graphics began circulating online. Some claimed the FBI had already found evidence of match-fixing. Others alleged that FIFA officials had been arrested. Some even displayed fabricated “breaking news” banners and fake FBI documents. None of these images constituted evidence — many were created simply to gain attention on social media.
Remember: An Investigation Is Not a Verdict
Perhaps the most important point is also the simplest. Being investigated is not the same as being found guilty. Investigators examine allegations; sometimes they find evidence supporting those allegations, and sometimes they find none. That is exactly why investigations exist — the outcome cannot be assumed before the evidence has been examined.
The Bottom Line
The reported U.S. investigation appears to have its origins in a commercial dispute dating back to 2021, when Guillermo Tofoni’s company claimed it secured exclusive rights to Argentina’s international friendlies. Following Argentina’s World Cup triumph in 2022, the value of those rights reportedly increased dramatically. The business relationship later collapsed, leading to lawsuits, financial allegations and a reported U.S. investigation into overseas commercial transactions. That is very different from the claim circulating on social media that the FBI is investigating Argentina because of the Egypt match.
At present, there is no verified evidence that the reported investigation concerns World Cup refereeing decisions or match-fixing. The available reporting indicates it centres on commercial rights, financial transactions and business dealings, not football results.
(This is an explainer based on publicly reported allegations and responses. An investigation is not proof of wrongdoing, and the AFA continues to deny any illegal conduct.)