Argentina's national team has been embroiled in controversy surrounding the 2026 World Cup. American actor Samuel L. Jackson's reposting of anti-Argentine content on social media sparked heated debate.
Samuel L. Jackson, 77, retweeted a post from the SEC Black Alumni Network on social media. This organization, comprised of African American alumni, openly called on Black people not to support Argentina during the World Cup, calling Argentina "historically one of the most racist countries in the world." The accompanying image was a composite of Jackson's character Stephen from the film *Django Unchained*, wearing an Argentine national team jersey. The post concluded with, "If you're a Black person who supports Argentina, this is how I see you," a reference to the character in the Quentin Tarantino film. In the film, Stephen is an elderly servant at the Sugar Plantation, the head of the servants. Despite his enslaved status, he remains loyal to his master and is known for his manipulative, cold-blooded, and racist tendencies towards other African Americans.
Argentine fans retaliate: Thousands of comments flood the actor
The Hollywood star's statement sparked a strong backlash on social media. Unable to directly reply to his social media Stories, thousands of Argentine fans flooded Jackson's account with his most recent posts. Data shows that Jackson's recent posts, which usually receive fewer than 1,000 comments, quickly surpassed 3,000, with many users accusing him of spreading misleading information.
Top-rated comments included: "I can't believe someone as smart as you would believe this kind of misinformation" and "You've disappointed me; I've always admired you." Many users also harshly criticized him for sharing content deemed offensive to the entire Argentine nation. Author Flor Freehall responded on social media: "Samuel L. Jackson said Argentina was the most racist country in the world, yet his country didn't abolish apartheid until 1965, and tomorrow they'll violently deport immigrants, putting their five-year-old children in detention centers. Bastards."
