Favouritism towards Argentina sees World Cup fans explode
The fullback left the field to be treated for a blow to the nose, but he should have waited one minute before returning to play.
Argentina’s victory over Cape Verde left no one indifferent. And not just for sporting reasons, but because of an incident that has gone viral and sparked outrage during the World Cup.
In the 115th minute, with Argentina leading 3-2, Cape Verde won a free kick on the left flank. Sidny Lopes Cabral sent the ball directly towards Emiliano “Dibu” Martínez’s goal, with the goalkeeper preventing an equaliser. However, amid the scramble in the penalty area, Nicolás Tagliafico took a heavy blow to the nose that caused a minor bleed.
After more than a minute of delay, during which Tagliafico remained on the ground, referee Drew Fischer instructed him to leave the field to change his shirt because it had been stained with blood. Argentina’s medical staff did not enter the pitch, instead treating him once he had gone off, plugging his nostrils to stop the bleeding. The fourth official also spoke with Tagliafico and the medical team, giving instructions. Meanwhile, play remained stopped as Cape Verde waited to take a corner kick. The referee delayed the restart until Tagliafico was ready to return and, once he had re-entered the field, play resumed.
The sequence sparked outrage and disbelief, particularly among some Cape Verde players. According to the Laws of the Game, Tagliafico should have remained off the field for at least one minute before being allowed to return.
The IFAB (International Football Association Board) states in its “Protocol for treatment and assessment off the field” that a player must remain off the pitch for one minute if any one of the following conditions applies: “Play is stopped because the player has a real or suspected injury; the referee has signalled for medical personnel to enter the field; or the referee asked the player if he needed medical attention on the field and the player requested it.”
In this case, the first condition appears to apply. Tagliafico was struck, fell to the ground and play was stopped for more than a minute before he temporarily left the field. Under the protocol, that should have required him to remain off the pitch for at least one minute before returning. The incident has become one of the main talking points from Argentina’s match against Cape Verde, not least because Cape Verde should have been able to take their corner with Argentina temporarily reduced to 10 players.
“Robo”
— Tendencias en Argentina (@porqueTTarg) July 4, 2026
Porque usuarios extranjeros dicen que “Argentina le robó a Cabo Verde” porque Tagliafico tenía que quedarse un minuto afuera. https://t.co/jkozC3DqNa
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