Despite his hat-trick, Messi under fire after controversial challenge on Aïssa Mandi

16.06.26 FT World Cup

Argentina

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Algeria

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Several former football icons, including ex-Egyptian international Mohamed Aboutrika, have weighed in on the refereeing controversy that overshadowed the clash between Argentina and Algeria, played on Tuesday night into Wednesday following Lionel Messi’s dangerous tackle on Algerian defender Aïssa Mandi.

Argentina cruised to a 3-0 victory over Algeria in a historic night for Lionel Messi who netted a hat-trick to extend his phenomenal World Cup goal tally.

Messi saved by the referee? The overlooked red card causes disbelief

After the final whistle, Mohamed Aboutrika voiced his concerns live on beIN Sports, questioning the decision of Polish referee Szymon Marciniak not to send off the Argentine captain for his challenge on Aïssa Mandi.

Meanwhile, former Algerian striker Islam Slimani admitted he was stunned to see Lionel Messi avoid a red card, arguing that any other player would have likely been punished more harshly in a similar scenario.

The controversy quickly went global. On ESPN in the US, several pundits fiercely criticized the referee’s decision.

Former Manchester City defender Nedum Onuoha declared that Messi was “very lucky to stay on the pitch,” insisting that his challenge on Mandi ticked all the boxes for a straight red card.

Even more unequivocal, ex-Venezuelan international Alejandro Moreno stated the incident “was 100% a red card.” He also questioned the absence of VAR intervention, as the video assistant referee failed to ask the main official to review the footage despite the severity of the contact.

2026 World Cup: Messi's hat-trick powers Argentina to 3-0 victory over Algeria!

Mohamed Rek |

Editorfr, ar, en

Mohamed Rek- sports content writer with over 10 years of experience creating football content in Arabic and French for platforms such as Foot Africa and Starafrica, combining accuracy, creativity, and audience engagement.

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