Lionel Messi delivered a sensational hat-trick in Argentina’s opening 2026 World Cup match against Algeria, securing a dominant 3-0 victory and equalling Miroslav Klose’s all-time World Cup goalscoring record. However, the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner’s heroics were overshadowed by a contentious challenge that saw him avoid a red card, sparking widespread debate among pundits and fans.
Messi, who will turn 39 next week, showcased his enduring brilliance by netting his 14th, 15th, and 16th World Cup goals. His first strike came in the 17th minute against Algeria goalkeeper Luca Zidane, son of Zinedine Zidane. He completed his hat-trick in the second half with two more goals in quick succession, earning him yet another World Cup Player of the Match award.
Pundits decry VAR decision
Despite the stellar performance, the match’s most talked-about moment involved a challenge on Algeria defender Aissa Mandi. Messi was seen raking his studs down Mandi’s calf, leaving the defender in visible pain. Remarkably, Polish referee Szymon Marciniak, who notably officiated the 2022 World Cup final between Argentina and France, did not penalise the incident, nor did the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) intervene.
The lack of action drew sharp criticism from former professionals. Nedum Onuoha, a former Manchester City and England Under-21 defender, expressed his disbelief at the decision.
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“I’m going to approach this the same way Messi did and I think it should have been a red card, in my opinion. It feels like the moment was missed,” Onuoha stated on ESPN. “When the player was on the floor, you could see Messi had a level of concern towards him because he knew that he’d potentially just done something that could get him in trouble. The referee’s probably missed it – and I understand why he’s missed it – but for the video assistant referee [VAR] to look at that and say ‘no, that’s all fine, there’s nothing more to it’… I personally think that’s worthy of a red.”
Former Venezuela international Ale Moreno echoed Onuoha’s sentiments, suggesting the incident fuels a narrative of preferential treatment for star players. “100% a red card for Lionel Messi. It should have been,” Moreno asserted. “I tell you what else is concerning, and it plays along this narrative that great players get preferential treatment… when he was about the score a hat-trick, and the goalkeeper Zidane actually made a save, they showed [FIFA president] Gianni Infantino smiling and was like ‘oh man, that was close!’ It does play into that narrative that these guys get different sort of treatment.”
The controversy has led some fans to claim the 2026 World Cup is already ‘rigged’, according to the Daily Mail. Argentina’s next Group J fixture is against Austria on June 22, followed by a match against Jordan five days later on June 27. In the other Group J opener, Austria secured a 2-1 win over Jordan.
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