Nearly 9.9 Million Sign Petition Seeking Argentina's Expulsion Ahead of World Cup Semi-final

Atlanta: As defending champions Argentina prepare to face England in the FIFA World Cup semi-final, an online campaign demanding the team's expulsion from the tournament has gained significant attention. According to international media reports, nearly 9.9 million people have signed an online petition hosted on the website argentinaout.com, which accuses referees of favouring Argentina throughout the competition.

The petition alleges that match officials have consistently shown bias in favour of Argentina and argues that there is no point for other teams to compete if the tournament winner has already been decided. It calls for Argentina to be removed from the World Cup to give the remaining teams what it describes as a fair opportunity. The campaign is not affiliated with FIFA and has no official or legal standing in determining World Cup participation.

Lionel Messi's Argentina will take on Harry Kane's England in the semi-final, with the clash in Atlanta expected to be one of the tournament's biggest encounters. The match also represents a contest between Latin American and European footballing styles.

England are widely regarded as holding a slight edge in tactical organisation and technical execution, while Argentina are considered stronger in terms of mental resilience and individual brilliance. England are chasing their first World Cup final appearance since 1966, while Argentina are aiming to reach a second consecutive title.