Overview
- Colter reposted a viral Instagram reel saying “everyone hates Lionel Messi” on Thursday, July 23, 2026, and the post quickly drew hundreds of critical comments from Argentine fans.
- In a lengthy Instagram reply published the same day he defended his stance by saying he is not nationalist and that sport is a distraction from human-rights and environmental concerns.
- Colter said he had received many private messages with racist content from Argentine users and presented those messages as proof that racist attitudes exist in the country.
- The actor also linked his criticism to politics by referencing the perceived affinity between President Trump and Argentina’s Javier Milei, arguing that public figures and policy matter beyond sport.
- His statements follow similar interventions by other international celebrities and have widened an online debate that started after the World Cup final, increasing polarization between Argentine fans and foreign public figures and raising the risk of more high-profile cultural clashes.