The popularity of Argentine star Lionel Messi has seen a notable decline among the British public, after a recent poll by YouGov showed that nearly half of respondents now view him negatively.

British newspaper the Daily Mail attributed this decline to what it described as the 'shameful and unjustified behavior' of the Argentine national team during the 2026 World Cup, which ended with them losing the title to Spain in the final (1-0).

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The poll revealed that Messi's image among a large segment of Britons was affected by the controversial events that accompanied Argentina's journey in the tournament, which included accusations of violent play, attempts to provoke opponents, as well as clashes that followed some matches.

Although Messi remains one of the most famous and popular football players in the world, the poll results reflect a notable shift in British public opinion towards him.

Argentina had eliminated England (2-1) in the semi-finals of the 2026 World Cup, scoring two goals in stoppage time to overturn a deficit into a victory.

Lionel Messi's popularity among British people has plummeted after Argentina's shameful World Cup antics. Messi is now viewed unfavourably among almost half of the participants surveyed by YouGov. It comes after Argentina's baseless behaviour at the tournament, which ended with pic.twitter.com/qqvRhq2p7g — Daily Mail Sport (@MailSport) July 22, 2026