Israeli Prime Minister (PM) Benjamin Netanyahu has revealed that he wants Argentina to win the FIFA World Cup 2026, and his reason has nothing to do with Lionel Messi.
During an appearance on The Mojo Podcast, hosted by Israeli comedian Ben Baruch, Netanyahu brought up Argentina himself while discussing the World Cup.
“I look for Argentina in the World Cup. You know why?” Netanyahu asked
When the host asked, “Mess”, Netanyahu gave a different answer.
“No, before Messi, Milei. He’s a superstar,” he said.
Netanyahu then explained why he rates Argentine President Javier Milei so highly.
“He’s a star. He’s a superstar, he really is, by adopting a free economy,” he added before revealing, “But Milei is a great friend of Israel.”
The conversation then shifted to a lighter moment. Netanyahu joked about Milei’s age and compared him to a football player, calling Argentina lucky to have “such an experienced player” at 39 years old. He made the remark in a humorous tone while talking about Argentina’s World Cup campaign.
The clip that circulated online was a short edited segment from the podcast. It made clear that Netanyahu’s support for Argentina comes from his admiration for Milei and the ties between Israel and Argentina, not from the team’s football stars.
Argentina entered the World Cup as defending champions and remain one of the strongest sides in the tournament, with Messi still leading the squad. Milei has openly supported Israel since taking office, and Netanyahu’s comments reflected that relationship.
Instead of praising Messi when given the chance, he chose to focus on Milei’s leadership and economic policies, turning a World Cup conversation into a moment about diplomacy between the two countries.
