The consultant Giacobbe Public Opinion made a special survey, in the context of the FIFA Soccer World Cup 2026which put the AFA leadership in focus, headed by Claudio “Chiqui” Tapia and the economic situation. Within hours of the debut of the Argentine National Team in the international event, the study carried out in 2,500 cases and on mobile devices, revealed that the climate of football enthusiasm is not enough to improve the public image of the head of the Argentine Football Association.
The survey, carried out between June 5 and 10, analyzed both the relationship between the World Cup and politics and the social perception of the main reference in Argentine football. The results showed that Tapia carries a markedly negative image even in the midst of one of the moments of greatest international exposure of the National Team. According to the study, the leader registers a negative image level of 42.7%, placing him among the worst valued public figures in the universe analyzed by the consulting firm.
One of the most striking aspects was the creation of a word cloud built from spontaneous responses from the respondents. Terms such as “corrupt”, “mafioso”, “chorro”, “criminal”, “thief” and “turncoat” stood out there, expressions that reflect an extremely critical perception of his leadership of the sports entity. The word “corrupt” appeared as the predominant definition, followed by “mafioso”, configuring a very unfavorable social portrait for the leader.
The survey also inquired about Tapia’s presence in the World Cup. According to the results disseminated by different media that reproduced the report, a clear majority, with a marked 44.8% of those surveyed, considered that the head of the AFA should not be part of the Argentine institutional delegation during the tournament. The rejection was mainly linked to the complaints and controversies surrounding the management of the entity in recent months.
The erosion of Tapia’s image is largely explained by a succession of scandals that began to accumulate during 2025 and deepened during this year. One of the first episodes that impacted public opinion was the controversy generated by arbitration decisions, regulatory changes and questions about the operation of the tournaments organized by the AFA. At the same time, complaints grew about alleged irregular management of resources and commercial contracts linked to the entity.
Subsequently, investigations related to commercial contracts signed by the AFA for the organization of international friendlies of the National Team appeared. A judicial expert confirmed the authenticity of the signatures of Tapia and the treasurer of the entity, Pablo Tovigginoin an agreement entered into with businessman Guillermo Tofoni. The controversy arose because the AFA subsequently ignored the agreement, generating a judicial dispute that became one of the most relevant causes for the leadership.
At the beginning of 2026, the situation worsened when various journalistic and judicial investigations focused on alleged corruption maneuvers, money laundering and the use of commercial intermediaries in operations linked to sponsors of the Argentine National Team. Various publications indicated that the researchers analyzed financial movements, transfers and contracts that involved both the president and the treasurer of the institution. Although the leaders rejected the accusations and denounced political persecution, the issue occupied the center of the sports and judicial agenda for weeks.
The crisis escalated even more when the Justice system advanced cases related to tax and pension obligations. In March 2026, the prosecution and seizure of Tapia and Toviggino for alleged irregularities linked to the withholding of contributions that should be transferred to the State emerged. The judicial measure included restrictions on leaving the country and was added to other open investigations into the economic administration of the AFA. The leadership responded by denouncing a political offensive linked to the confrontation between the leadership of Argentine football and the national government over the debate on the SPublic Limited Sports Companies.
In this context, Giacobbe’s survey appears as a photograph of a particularly delicate moment for the president of the AFA. Although the Argentine National Team continues to be one of the main symbols of national pride and maintains high sporting expectations ahead of the 2026 World Cup, the figure of Tapia seems to have been detached from those successes. The investigation showed that, for a significant portion of society, sporting triumphs are no longer enough to neutralize the institutional questions of the renowned leader.
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