Lionel Messi scored a hat-trick on Wednesday in Argentina’s 3-0 win over Algeria, but the game was quickly overshadowed by a disputed challenge that left many fans angry. Messi’s three-goal performance was his first hat-trick in his sixth World Cup, lifting his career total in the tournament to 16 goals, level with Miroslav Klose at the all-time top.
Messi opened the scoring with a spectacular long-range strike in the first half, then completed his hat-trick in the 76th minute. Before that, he had already moved past Kylian Mbappe, who had scored his 13th and 14th World Cup goals in France’s 3-1 win over Senegal.
The controversy came when Messi appeared to stamp on the back of Algerian defender Issa Mandi’s calf while making a clumsy attempt to reach the ball. Algeria were awarded a free kick, but referee and VAR officials did not issue even a yellow card. That meant Argentina avoided playing the rest of the match with 10 men, and Messi also escaped a suspension for what many viewers felt should have been a direct red card.
Reaction on social media was fierce, with many calling the decision a scandal and questioning why VAR did not intervene. One user wrote, “Even a yellow? That’s crazy,” while another said, “How is that not a yellow, it’s beyond me.” Others argued the tackle was not intentional but still merited at least a booking. Some suggested officials may have been lenient after three red cards were shown in the tournament opener. In any case, Messi remained at the center of attention, this time because of a small incident that clouded a major performance.
