India, July 8 -- Conspiracy theories have long been football's favourite travelling companion. They usually begin as whispers on social media, grow louder with every controversial refereeing decision and, more often than not, fade away with time. The one surrounding Lionel Messi's Argentina, however, has refused to disappear.

It first gathered momentum during the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, where every contentious decision involving the eventual champions was scrutinised through the lens of perceived favouritism. It began as little more than background noise. Some supporters questioned the amount of stoppage time added in Argentina's shock opening defeat to Saudi Arabia, claiming officials were desperate to help the South Americans fin...