Messi Escapes Punishment After Heavy Foul in World Cup Match

Lionel Messi made history on the night covered by the article, matching the all-time World Cup scoring record with 16 goals. But his landmark moment was overshadowed by a first-half incident in which many viewers said he should have been sent off.

In the 32nd minute, with Argentina already leading 1-0 after Messi had scored his first goal, he lunged for a ball near Algeria's Elissa Mendy and missed. Instead, he clipped the opponent, with his studs striking the back of Mendy's leg. The referee awarded Algeria a free kick, but the VAR team did not intervene and Messi was not even booked.

That decision sparked angry reaction on social media. One user on X wrote, "Even not a yellow? That's crazy," while another said, "How is that not a yellow, it's beyond me." A third argued that it should at least have been a yellow even if the challenge was not intentional. Others went further, saying Messi should have been sent off and that any player not named Lionel Messi would have received a red card.

Some fans suggested officials may have been instructed to be more lenient after three red cards were shown in the tournament's opening match. The article presents no evidence for that claim, but says the episode left many stunned and briefly dampened an otherwise historic performance by Messi.