Outcry After Messi Avoids Red Card in World Cup Debut

Lionel Messi’s World Cup debut for Argentina against Algeria nearly took a dramatic turn in the 31st minute, when he was accused of committing a harsh foul on center back Issa Mandi. After pressing Mandi, Messi raised a leg high into the defender’s ankle area, and although Polish referee Szymon Marciniak whistled for a foul, he did not issue a card.

Algerian players asked for a VAR review, and Marciniak was said to have checked the incident before allowing play to continue. The decision immediately triggered heavy criticism online, with many arguing that Messi should have been sent off.

The refereeing account Archivo VAR, which analyzes officiating controversies worldwide, called it a “serious VAR mistake” and said Messi hit Mandi from behind in the thigh area. It added: “This was a clear red card. The VAR, cowardly, chose to ignore the incident.”

Journalist Fernando Esquivel said the standard would have been different for any other player. “In the case of any other player, they would at least have gone to the VAR and checked for a red card,” he wrote. “In the end, it is Messi, and his status makes them judge him by a different standard. This is not a complaint or criticism, it is reality.”