The Chilean midfielder celebrated Morocco's second goal in the U-20 World Cup final on social media, a gesture that was interpreted as a clear mockery of the Albiceleste
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Once again, Arturo Vidal found himself at the center of controversy. The Chilean midfielder, currently a Colo Colo player, sparked a major stir on social media after posting an Instagram story celebrating Morocco's second goal against Argentina U-20 in the final of the World Cup for that age category, which ended with an African victory by 2-0.
The message, accompanied by applause, heart, and Moroccan flag emojis, was interpreted by users as a provocation toward Argentinians, which triggered a flood of comments and criticism directed at "King Arturo."
The post showed the replay of Yassir Zabiri's second goal, the player who scored both goals that crowned Morocco world champion, and it quickly went viral among South American fans and media.
El posteo de Vidal en Instagram
From Chile, even some journalists questioned the player's attitude, pointing out the unnecessary and provocative tone of his post. This is not the first time Vidal has caused controversy regarding the Argentine national team, since, throughout his career, he has been involved in media clashes and heated statements ahead of Copa América and South American qualifiers matches.
It should be clarified that the neighboring country has never won this tournament in its 48 years of existence. The furthest it reached was in the 2007 edition, a tournament in which they finished third after losing 3-0 in the semifinals precisely against Argentina, which would later become champion. As an interesting fact, Vidal himself was part of that Chilean squad.
Vidal fue eliminado por Argentina en el Mundial 2007
The episode reignited football tensions between both national teams and reinforced Vidal's image as one of the most temperamental and controversial players on the continent.