JTA — Sunday’s World Cup final will see Argentina face off against Spain — setting up a showdown between two countries that have recently taken sharply opposing views on Israel.

Their stars, too, symbolize the split: Argentina’s Lionel Messi has drawn attention for his past ties to Israel, while Spain’s Lamine Yamal has made headlines by displaying a Palestinian flag after a crucial win.

Online discourse has now cast the match as something of a proxy for the Middle East conflict, and sparked more than a few anti-Israel and antisemitic conspiracy theories.

“We are getting an Israel versus Palestine World Cup,” wrote content creator Ryan Rozbiani on X.

“Argentina is the only team among all participants that is openly and consistently pro-Israel,” wrote one X user, whose bio says they oppose the Islamic Republic of Iran. “That’s why I’m rooting for them.”

Khabib Nurmagomedov, the former MMA fighter and vocal supporter of the Palestinian cause, posted a similar message to his Instagram story and wrote, “I know who I’m supporting.”

Sneako, the streamer who has spread antisemitic conspiracy theories and used Nazi slogans, weighed in a couple of weeks ago: “Argentina is the Israel of South America.”

Argentina’s President Javier Milei, a self-described “anarcho-capitalist” who took office in December 2023, has transformed Argentina’s foreign policy toward Israel, shifting the country from a more critical stance to one of its closest allies.

Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez of Spain, a socialist, has emerged as one of Europe’s most outspoken critics of Israel’s military campaign in Gaza against Hamas and a leading advocate of Palestinian statehood.

Sánchez expressed pride after the Spanish forward Yamal was photographed in May celebrating a crucial win with a Palestinian flag. The 18-year-old FC Barcelona star, whose father is Moroccan, waved the flag while riding on an open-top bus during the club’s celebrations after winning the La Liga title on May 11.

“Lamine has merely expressed the solidarity with Palestine that millions of Spaniards feel,” Sánchez said at the time. “Yet another reason to be proud of him.”

Spanish actor Javier Bardem, a supporter who’s often shown on-camera during the team’s World Cup games, is an outspoken advocate for Palestinians. He has held up a Palestinian flag at multiple games........

© The Times of Israel