Some World Cup fans were furious after Lionel Messi avoided a red card following a controversial challenge during Argentina’s clash with Algeria.
Messi, 38, stole the spotlight with a sensational hat-trick in his first World Cup appearance since lifting the trophy in Qatar three and a half years ago.
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The treble saw him draw level with Miroslav Klose as the competition’s joint all-time leading goalscorer.
The Argentine superstar thought he had opened the scoring early on at Kansas City Stadium, but his close-range effort was ruled out for offside. He would not be denied for long, though, firing his side into a 1-0 lead in the 17th minute.
However, the first half was not without controversy for the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner.
Red card ♦️ for Lionel Messi, oh sorry, not even a yellow card 😵💫
The South Africans were awarded two red cards, even though one was not even a yellow card, while FIFA’S favourite, Messi, got a clean chit, such a shame 🤪pic.twitter.com/NAS5Gyd8RO
— Ajay Jadeja (@AjayJadeja171) June 17, 2026
Just after the half-hour mark, Messi appeared to catch Aissa Mandi with his studs while challenging for the ball.
The Algerian defender went down in pain following the incident.
Blame the ref and var. clear red card for Messi. https://t.co/BQy1emQXl0 pic.twitter.com/ygfjIQFsBE
— Paul Charles (@PaulEazi212) June 17, 2026
Despite the challenge, referee Szymon Marciniak and the VAR officials chose not to take any disciplinary action.
Many supporters were unhappy with that decision, arguing that another player would not have escaped punishment in similar circumstances.
One X user wrote: “This doesn’t look good for football, Messi getting away with an obvious red card on the world stage is a disgrace.”
Another said: “That should have easily been a red card. Expect the same with [Cristiano] Ronaldo. It’s going to be rigged for them to play against each other.”
A third added: “Can’t believe he got no card for this challenge.”
Another responded: “This was criminal, any other player is getting sent off.”
And a fifth put: “Messi didn’t get a red card because he is the son of Fifa.”
Messi went on to complete his hat-trick after the break, first converting a rebound before curling home a superb strike from the edge of the area as Argentina secured an impressive 3-0 victory.
This year’s World Cup is unlike any previous edition, with a record 48 nations battling to claim football’s most prestigious trophy.
