Samuel L Jackson has publicly denounced Argentina as historically racist after the country's national team lost the 2026 FIFA World Cup final 1-0 to Spain in extra time at New Jersey's MetLife Stadium. The 77-year-old actor shared a post on his Instagram Story before the match, urging Black people not to support Argentina.
Jackson's social media post
Jackson reshared a post from the SEC Black Alumni Network featuring an AI-generated image of his character Stephen from the 2012 Quentin Tarantino film Django Unchained. The image showed Stephen wearing an Argentina jersey with text that read: '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 post continued: 'If you are a Black person cheering for Argentina, this is what you look like to me.' It concluded: 'We hear you loud and clear.'
Reactions and backlash
Some Argentine fans called Jackson's repost 'outrageous' and accused him of believing 'anti-Argentina propaganda' despite allegedly lacking historical knowledge. Jackson, whose films have grossed over $27 billion worldwide, has a long history of speaking out against racism.
In a 2023 interview with Rolling Stone, Jackson said: 'When I grew up in segregation, I knew which white people didn’t want to be bothered with me, and I knew how they felt about me.' He added that seeing Donald Trump reminded him of 'the same rednecks' who used racial slurs to 'keep [him] in [his] place'. 'That’s what the Republican Party is to me. They’re doing it to young people, gay people. They don’t care who you are. If you’re not them, you’re the enemy.'
Racism allegations during the tournament
Argentina faced widespread opposition from Latin American fans, particularly in Mexico, due to perceived racism and arrogance. Brazilian journalist Julia Duailibi wrote after Argentina's semi-final win over England: 'I have always been an admirer of the hermanos and would have loved to cheer on a fellow South American team. But I admit that the racist scenes involving a minority of the fans and the silence of the majority on the pitch turned my stomach.'
FIFA launched an investigation into alleged racist abuse involving American influencer IShowSpeed (Darren Jason Watkins Jr., 21) and an Argentina fan during Argentina's win over Cape Verde on July 3. FIFA stated: 'The FIFA World Cup is a celebration of unity, diversity, and respect. It brings together people, cultures, and communities from around the world, and anyone who acts in a manner that undermines these values is not welcome in our game.'
Context of the final
The final, attended by David Beckham and his family, saw Spain lift the trophy, presented by Donald Trump. Reps for Samuel L Jackson have been contacted for comment.
