More than 23.3mn people across some 170 countries have signed an online petition demanding Argentina be barred from future FIFA World Cups, a tally that puts the campaign within touching distance of the record books.

The drive gathered pace after Argentina's 1-0 defeat to Spain in the men's final earlier this month, a result that ended the South Americans' bid to defend the title they won in 2022 and, evidently, tested the patience of a sizeable chunk of the internet-using world.

According to the petition organisers, the campaign took hold amid accusations from rival supporters that Argentina had been the beneficiary of favourable, and at times baffling, refereeing decisions throughout the tournament, including in a bad-tempered round-of-16 tie against Egypt.

The petition, titled "Kick Argentina Out," makes its case with a bluntness FIFA's own communications department might envy: "It is obvious that FIFA and the referees are biased towards Lionel Messi and Argentina. Why should the rest of the world compete when the winner has already been decided? Kick Argentina out and give everyone else a fair chance."

Organisers had originally hoped for five million signatures. They got more than four and a half times that, with most of the support said to have arrived within a week.

Even so, the campaign fell narrowly short of the all-time record for a petition, a feat still held by the Jubilee 2000 movement. That late-1990s campaign for the cancellation of poor-country debt amassed just over 24.3mn names, leaving "Kick Argentina Out" a little over a million signatures shy of the title.

Matters were not helped by ugly scenes after the final whistle. Argentina's Enzo Fernandez had already been sent off for a reckless challenge, leaving his side to finish the match a man light, before a post-match scuffle broke out involving several Argentine players and staff and their Spanish counterparts. FIFA has since confirmed a formal investigation, with an ethics prosecutor examining the incident and the power to hand down worldwide bans.

Off the pitch, the mood among Argentina's own camp was rather more sombre. Messi was seen in tears as he left the field after the final whistle, and it remains unclear whether the 39-year-old forward will turn out for Argentina again.

His coach, for one, was in no mood to entertain the petitioners. "I hope that everyone feels proud of him, of what he's achieved because he's the best football player ever stepping foot on a pitch," Lionel Scaloni said after the match.

When the petition closed, its organisers signed off with a pointed thank-you to the eventual champions: "FIFA ignored us, but Spain kept its promises, thank you Spain." Not to be outdone, Argentine fans launched a counter-petition of their own on Change.org, calling for the final to be replayed over the officiating. It gathered a rather more modest 80,000 signatures, a ratio of roughly 290 grievances against Argentina for every one in its favour.

Refereeing was not the only source of friction. The tournament had already been marred by complaints over ticket prices and disputed "hydration breaks," and Argentina caused a diplomatic stir of its own after the semi-final win over England, when players paraded a banner reading "Las Malvinas son Argentinas," a reference to the long-running sovereignty dispute over the Falkland Islands.

Despite the storm over officiating, the report suggested many fans are simply hoping to see Messi again on the international stage, bias allegations and record near-misses notwithstanding.