Daily Mail fuels Argentina conspiracy by dubbing Elfath "Messi's favorite referee"

Theory Briefing

• The Daily Mail repeatedly used phrases like 'tournament manipulation' and 'favoring Messi,' lending mainstream credibility to a fringe conspiracy theory.
• Labeling referee Elfath 'Messi's favorite referee' is a framing choice that implies bias without presenting direct evidence of it.
• Once a major outlet packages a suspicion as a recurring label, the label itself becomes the story — repeated across outlets regardless of the underlying facts.
• The conspiracy narrative centers on Argentina, making it easy for fans to read any refereeing decision through a pre-built bias lens.