Samuel L. Jackson ignites debate on Argentina's racism after World Cup final loss
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Hollywood icon Samuel L. Jackson reignited discussions about Argentina's history of racism by resharing an Instagram post shortly after the team's defeat in the 2026 FIFA World Cup final.
Spain edged out Argentina 1-0 in extra time on Sunday, with Ferran Torres scoring the decisive goal as Argentina played with 10 men following Enzo Fernández's red card.
The 77-year-old actor, known for roles in films like Django Unchained, took to his Instagram Stories to amplify a message from a facebook page.
The post featured a photoshopped image of Jackson's character Stephen from Django Unchained wearing an Argentina FIFA jersey.
"Dear Black People... Please do not cheer or root for Argentina to win the FIFA World Cup. Argentina has historically been one of, if not the most racist, countries in the world," the reshared post stated.
It continued by suggesting that Black supporters of Argentina resembled the subservient "Uncle Tom" archetype.
The controversy builds on incidents throughout the tournament involving Argentine fans.
FIFA launched investigations into alleged racist abuse directed at streamer IShowSpeed during matches against Cape Verde and Egypt, including taunts like "go cry at the zoo" and monkey gestures.
FIFA stated it "strongly condemns racism, hate and discrimination in all forms" and that "these actions have no place in football, at the FIFA World Cup, or anywhere in society."
Argentina's racial history has come under renewed scrutiny. In the 19th century, policies of Blanqueamiento ("whitening") under leaders like President Domingo Sarmiento promoted European immigration to alter the country's demographic makeup, contributing to the erasure of its significant Afro-Argentine and Indigenous populations through immigration, wars, and epidemics.
Today, Argentina's population is predominantly of European descent, with Afro-Argentines comprising a small percentage.
