Nana Owiti announces she will quit supporting Argentina after Messi’s retirement
By Steve Ireri, July 9, 2026Nana Owiti has announced that she will stop supporting the Argentina national football team once football legend Lionel Messi retires from international football after the 2026 FIFA World Cup, citing what she described as repeated racist behaviour by sections of the team’s fanbase.
In a statement shared on Facebook on Thursday, July 9, 2026, Nana said she had reached the difficult decision after becoming increasingly disappointed by incidents involving some Argentina supporters, arguing that the conduct had overshadowed her love for the team.
According to her, she will remain an Argentina fan until the conclusion of the upcoming World Cup, which is widely expected to mark the end of Messi’s international career, before walking away from supporting the South American giants.
“After this World Cup, when the lights finally dim on Messi’s international career, I’ll also be walking away as an Argentina fan. It’s honestly disheartening. Some of the behaviour from sections of the fanbase has been embarrassing to witness on the global stage,” she wrote.
Nana admitted that making the decision was disheartening, saying she had become frustrated by what she termed as embarrassing behaviour displayed by sections of the fanbase on the global stage.
She noted that while she initially viewed one incident as an isolated occurrence, the repeated nature of similar episodes had ultimately changed her perspective.
“One incident was disappointing; now it’s become one too many,” she wrote.
The media personality strongly condemned racism in football, insisting that the sport should never be used as a platform to discriminate against players, supporters or communities based on the colour of their skin.
She maintained that rivalries should remain confined to the pitch and end with the final whistle, stressing that respect among players and supporters should always prevail regardless of the outcome of a match.
“Football has no place for racism. Rivalries should end at the final whistle, but respect should never leave the pitch. No player, fan or community deserves to be targeted because of the colour of their skin,” she wrote.
Nana further argued that no individual deserves to be targeted because of their race, calling on football fans around the world to reject racism in all its forms.
She also reminded fans that football is meant to unite people from different backgrounds rather than create divisions, urging everyone to consistently stand against racism.
“The beautiful game is meant to unite us, NOT divide us. Stand against racism. Always!!” she added.