Should Messi have been given a red card? The Algerian team raised questions over the referee’s decisions and complained to FIFA 2026
Should Messi have been given a red card? The Algerian team raised questions over the referee’s decisions and complained to FIFA 2026 After losing 0-3 to Argentina in the FIFA World Cup 2026, Algeria has filed an official complaint. Algeria has demanded an investigation into two controversial incidents involving Lionel Messi and Alexis Mac Allister, while the decisions of the referee and VAR officials are being questioned.
After a 0-3 loss to Argentina in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Algeria has filed an official complaint with FIFA’s referee committee. The Algerian Football Federation has raised questions about two controversial incidents in the match and has requested an investigation into the referee and VAR (Video Assistant Referee) decisions.
The main focus of Algeria’s complaint was the first half, when Argentina’s captain Lionel Messi clashed with Algeria’s captain Aissa Mandi.
Algerian supporters claim that Messi hit the stud on Mandi’s shin from behind, for which he should have been shown a red card. However, the referee did not take any action and Messi went on to score a hat-trick to give Argentina a 3-0 victory.
The second controversy was seen in the second half, when Argentina’s midfielder Alexis Mac Allister collided with Ibrahima Mazraoui. Algeria claims that Mac Allister struck Mazraoui in the face with his elbow, but referee Szymon Marciniak let the game continue and showed no card.
After these incidents, questions have started to be raised about the roles of referee Shimon Marciniak and VAR official Tomas Kwiatkowski.
In the meantime, South Africa’s head coach Hugo Broos also mentioned this issue. He compared his player Themba Zwane’s red card and three-match ban against Mexico to Messi’s incident.
Bruce said, ‘I don’t want Messi to get a red card, because having such a great player on the field is good for the game. But if no action is taken in Messi’s case, then what was the difference for my players in that incident?’
Argentina will now face Austria in Dallas on Tuesday, while Algeria’s team will take the field against Jordan in San Francisco.
Should Messi have been given a red card? The Algerian team raised questions over the referee’s decisions and complained to FIFA 2026 Should Messi have been given a red card? The Algerian team raised questions over the referee’s decisions and complained to FIFA 2026 Should Messi have been given a red card? The Algerian team raised questions over the referee’s decisions and complained to FIFA 2026 Should Messi have been given a red card? The Algerian team raised questions over the referee’s decisions and complained to FIFA 2026
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