Ex-Barcelona star threatens to ‘beat’ IShowSpeed if he wears Argentina jersey to World Cup semifinal

A former Argentina striker has warned streamer and Cristiano Ronaldo super fan IShowSpeed to stay away from La Albiceleste’s World Cup semifinal against England.

Maxi Lopez, who featured at U20 and U17 level for his nation, hasn’t taken kindly to Speed‘s jokes about ‘jinxing’ Lionel Messi and his teammates.

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Following Portugal’s exit from the tournament, the streamer rocked up to Argentina’s quarter-final against Switzerland wearing the famous white and light blue strip and told his followers he was rooting for the defending champions.

Many believed he was attempting to ‘curse’ the team, leaning into the fan theory that if he wears a team’s jersey, they will lose the game.

“Argentina vs Switzerland. It’s that time bro. It’s that time. You know what I’m saying bro,” he said with a smile to the camera, as the two teams lined up on Saturday night.

“It’s gonna be a good game today bro. Come on Argentina. Vamos!”

Speed’s alleged attempt to derail Argentina’s World Cup campaign, however, backfired.

Maxi Lopez tells IShowSpeed “we’re gonna beat your a**” if he wears Argentina jersey to England clash

The South American side won 3-1 against Switzerland, but required extra-time to overcome their opposition, who went down to 10 men midway through the second half.

A semifinal clash with England in Atlanta awaits on July 15, in what will be one of the biggest World Cup matches in decades.

Following Argentina’s quarterfinal win, Speed confirmed he would wear a jersey in support of the Three Lions, now the ‘curse’ is broken.

Lopez, who had a club career that included spells at Barcelona and AC Milan, winning a La Liga and Champions League double with the former in 2006, is taking no chances over the streamer’s antics, and doesn’t want to see him in the stadium at all on Wednesday.

“Speed, vigilante, don’t show up again,” Lopez said, per Argentina’s PaseClave outlet.

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X by @IShowSpeedHQ

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“You tried to jinx us last night.

“If you put on the Argentina jersey again, we’re gonna beat your a**, I’m telling you.”

Lopez’ comments quickly went viral after surfacing online from PaseClave, with close to 400,000 views in around 12 hours.

FIFA currently investigating racist abuse toward Speed at previous Argentina game

While unrelated, Lopez’ warning comes days after FIFA launched an official investigation into a confrontation between Speed and a fan during Argentina’s World Cup Round of 32 game against Cape Verde earlier this month.

As he livestreamed the game, Speed was heard asking a fan in an Argentina jersey what was being said toward him.

Speaking in Spanish, the fan appeared to tell him to ‘go cry to the zoo.’

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“FIFA strongly condemns racism, hate and discrimination in all forms,” the governing body said, in a statement released after the game.

“These actions have no place in football, at the FIFA World Cup, or anywhere in society.

“FIFA was made aware of an incident involving a supporter and IShowSpeed at Miami Stadium during the Argentina vs Cabo Verde match on 3 July 2026 and immediately initiated an investigation.

“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.”

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