Several national football players, journalists and politicians have given different interpretations over a possible outside interference within the match to benefit Argentina with no consensus on the circumstances.

The denunciation of the former Argentine Minister of Finance, Juan Alemann who claimed that a bomb detonated when Argentina scored the fourth goal needed to qualify.

Players of the Peruvian national football team have given different versions of what happened as some alleged that irregular things happened before and during the match such as the visit of the Argentine dictator Videla to the Peruvian locker room while others deny any type of arrangement and claim that Argentina was vastly superior to Peru during the match.

FIFA arranged for the Brazil-Poland match to be played before Argentina-Peru, citing television and ticket sales issues.

In 2012 it was rumored that FIFA could investigate the matter, and if it found evidence that an arrangement existed, it could annul the title to Argentina.

Argentina was runner-up in the 1930 FIFA World Cup held in Uruguay where the host country won the title 4–2.

Matches prior to the World Cup stood out, with César Luis Menotti as technical director of Argentina.

Poland arrived with 2 points but with chances to win the group if, after their victory, Argentina lost or tied without surpassing it in goal difference.

Given the few ticket sales abroad, FIFA feared that in those matches where the local team was not involved, there would be low attendance.

Knowing this, Argentina played in the final round against Peru, who were already out of the World Cup by not reaping any points within the group.

Minutes before the game, President Jorge Rafael Videla visited the Peruvian locker room accompanied by former American Secretary of State and organizer of Operation Condor, Henry Kissinger[14] and read a message to the players from the Peruvian dictator Francisco Morales Bermúdez on the Argentine-Peruvian brotherhood.

[13] Kempes denied that there could have been any agreement since Peru had some clear chances, including a vertical shot from the Argentine goal.

In addition to this, strife began to emerge in the Peruvian national football team between the players of Sporting Cristal and Alianza Lima.

[13] Different people and players declared that part of the Peruvian team was pressured[20] or bribed[20][21][22] to lose the game by a large sum.

"[24] In the book How They Stole the Game, British historian David Yallop maintained that Videla ordered Rear Admiral Carlos Alberto Lacoste, in charge of EAM'78, to take charge of arranging the result with the ruling dictatorship in Peru, led by General Morales Bermúdez, who decades later would be sentenced to life imprisonment by the III Criminal Court of Rome, for his participation in Operation Condor.

[25] According to Yallop, Lacoste made contact with three officials who accompanied the Peruvian team and offered them a million-dollar bribe of fifty million dollars and a donation of 35,000 tons of grains.

Alemann blamed Massera himself for the attack: They planted a bomb in my house, just at the time of Argentina's fourth goal against Peru.

[26][31] In 2003, Oblitas announced that the dictator Videla and Kissinger had been present in the Peruvian locker room, a few minutes before the start of the game.

Velásquez also said that although he lacked evidence, he knew several Peruvian managers and six players who participated to fix the match, naming Rodulfo Manzo, Raúl Gorriti, Juan José Muñante and goalkeeper Ramón Quiroga, the latter being born Argentine.

[15] In an investigation carried out by Fernández Moores for Radio Continental, journalist Carlos Juvenal said that the captain of the Peruvian squad, Héctor Chumpitaz confessed to him about "additional money" but added that he would never admit it publicly.

In addition, the unusual lineup of Peruvian coach Marcos Calderón left several notable and experienced players out of the match.

[41] Manzo maintained that neither he nor his teammates had received money for the result of the match and even though there have been speculations, there has never been any real proof of any fraud.

"[47] César Cueto declared that this match was legitimate, and that the defeat was due to poor physical preparation and fatigue after eleven days of competition, describing the accusations as "inventions from the press".

In the same World Cup, Mexico also lost 6-0 against Germany, so I don't understand why people keep saying it was a fix (...) Every game I played I did it 100 percent.

[8][52][53] In 2012, after statements by Ledesma, it was rumored that FIFA could void Argentina's title in 1978 if it was proven that there was an arrangement in their match against Peru but the case has not gone any further.

[54] In an article published in 2018, Peruvian journalist Valentín Ahón stated that he didn't believe that there were bribes or a pact between the dictatorships of Argentina and Peru.