The World Cup has come under fire over the fairness of the tournament, especially after Lionel Messi failed to get a red card in Argentina’s match with Algeria.
The incident raised questions among supporters and football experts, and some football fans even claimed that the tournament was being unfairly refereed in favour of the sport’s top stars.
Many people wondered why Messi didn’t get punished for doing something that they thought was extremely serious.
ESPN analysts believe Messi should have been booked for his boot to the back of an Algerian defender who then fell down.
The analysts noted that this was a serious violation that Messi should have been dismissed and comparable cases with other players would have led to immediate punishment.
Read more: Messi set for sixth World Cup as Argentina reveal final squad
Several commentators and fans were disappointed after watching the replay of the incident.
Polish referee Szymon Marciniak opted not to send off Messi and the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) didn’t interfere which became a puzzling moment for many viewers.
This quickly brought out the reactions on social media, with some users stating that Messi got special treatment due to his worldwide status.
Other fans said that if another player was involved in the same scenario, the red card would have been given immediately.
Others alleged that FIFA was trying to maintain the potential of a great competition between Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo in the tournament.
Despite the online discussions, Messi displayed an extraordinary show against Algeria, with his first hat-trick in World Cup history and Argentina’s 3-0 win over Algeria.
Also read: Messi scores first hat-trick of FIFA World Cup 2026
