Messi Faces Fan Backlash After Escaping Red Card in World Cup Clash - New Straits Times Online
Messi’s first World Cup hat-trick lifted Argentina to a 3-0 win, but fans said a studs-first challenge on Aissa Mandi should have brought a red card.
- Argentina superstar Lionel Messi scored his first World Cup hat-trick in a 3-0 win over Algeria on Wednesday, equaling Miroslav Klose's all-time tournament record of 16 goals.
- Fans criticized officiating after Messi avoided a red card for a clumsy challenge on Aissa Mandi midway through the first half, as The VAR did not intervene and the referee opted against brandishing a card.
- ESPN analyst Ale Moreno said it was "100 per cent a red card," adding that the decision fuels "a narrative that great players get preferential treatment."
- After opening the scoring in the 17th minute, Messi added two further goals and received a standing ovation from the Arrowhead Stadium crowd before being substituted.
- Argentina faces remaining games against Austria and Jordan next week, where the 38-year-old Messi aims to move into the outright lead for tournament goals ahead of France's Kylian Mbappe, who is on 14.
19 Articles
19 Articles
Messi lights up Kansas with historic hat-trick against Algeria
Lionel Messi has spent two decades bending World Cups to his will, but in Kansas he delivered something special even by his standards: a first World Cup hat-trick, a place alongside Miroslav Klose on 16 all‑time tournament goals, and a performance that felt like a personal highlight reel stitched into Argentina’s opening win. At 38, he is still untouchable. Argentina’s 3-0 victory over Algeria was dominant, but the night belonged entirely to the…
Messi faces fan backlash after escaping red card in World Cup clash - New Straits Times Online
KUALA LUMPUR: Lionel Messi's starring role in Argentina's World Cup clash against Algeria was overshadowed by a controversial first-half challenge that many fans believed deserved a red card.
Lionel Messi equaled Miroslav Klose's World Cup record last night by reaching a record 16 goals with a hat trick. But should he even have been allowed on the pitch?
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