Samuel L. Jackson brands Argentina ‘historically’ racist after World Cup final

Actor Samuel L. Jackson sparked a backlash over the weekend after urging Black fans not to support Argentina’s national soccer team, calling the country “historically” racist hours after its World Cup final loss to Spain.

Mr. Jackson, 77, shared a post to his Instagram Story on Sunday accusing Argentina of being “historically” racist following the country’s FIFA World Cup final defeat. The post originated with the SEC Black Alumni Network and paired the message with an AI-generated image of Mr. Jackson’s “Django Unchained” character, Stephen, photoshopped into an Argentina jersey — a nod to the character’s role as a Black overseer loyal to his white enslaver.

The post read in part: “Argentina has historically been one of, if not the most racist countries in the world.” It continued, “If you are a Black person cheering for Argentina, this is what you look like to me.”

The message hit hours after Argentina’s 1-0 extra-time loss to Spain, with Ferran Torres scoring the winner in the 106th minute, in a match that saw Enzo Fernandez sent off with a second yellow card in second-half stoppage time for a challenge on Spain’s Pau Cubarsi, and Argentina failed to register a single shot on target across the full 120 minutes, managing just two shot attempts in the match.

Some commenters argued Argentina’s historical record was more complex, citing measures such as the country’s 1813 Free Womb Law, which freed children born to enslaved mothers, and the nation’s long history of welcoming immigrants.

The dust-up landed in the middle of a bruising few days for Argentina’s reputation on the world stage. Al Jazeera reported Argentina had acquired a “villain” reputation over the course of the tournament and noted that allegations of racism against Argentine fans were already circulating before Mr. Jackson weighed in. The outlet’s report on the tournament noted FIFA condemned racist abuse after an Argentine supporter told a Black American livestreamer to “cry at the zoo,” and pointed to a longer, documented history of monkey gestures and chants aimed at Brazilian players by some Argentine fans.

Sociologist Ivan Schuliaquer of Argentina’s National University of San Martin offered a note of caution about generalizing from those incidents, telling AFP that such labels often come from countries that haven’t fully reckoned with their own histories of racism.

Argentina’s postgame conduct didn’t help matters. FIFA opened a disciplinary probe into a brawl that broke out after the final whistle, in which Leandro Paredes appeared to grab Spain’s Eric Garcia by the throat before other players began shoving and tripping one another. Coach Lionel Scaloni struck a more measured tone afterward: “We are gracious in victory, and we must be so in defeat.”

Mr. Jackson’s post also revived scrutiny of Argentina’s Nazi-era past. Historians estimate that as many as 5,000 Nazi officials and collaborators resettled in Argentina after World War II under President Juan Peron, more than any other South American nation.

This is not the first time Mr. Jackson has waded into political controversy; he has criticized former President Trump’s rhetoric on race in past interviews. As of Monday, neither the actor nor the SEC Black Alumni Network had publicly responded to the criticism.