FIFA WORLD CUP: Algeria files formal complaint against Lionel Messi over ‘studs-up’ tackle
The Algerian Football Federation (FAF) has launched a formal complaint with world football governing body, FIFA, following a controversial incident involving Argentina captain Lionel Messi during their World Cup Group J opener.
Messi, who recently equalled Miroslav Klose as the joint top scorer in World Cup history, grabbed the headlines on Wednesday after netting a brilliant hat-trick to hand the defending champions a convincing 3-0 victory over Algeria.
However, the North African nation was left furious with both Messi’s conduct and the officiating during the encounter.
The three sore points
According to a report by The Athletic, the FAF’s official complaint to FIFA targets a series of controversial refereeing decisions by Polish referee Szymon Marciniak and his VAR team. Chief among their grievances is a 30th-minute tackle by Messi.
The Inter Miami star caught Algerian defender Aissa Mandi on his right calf and Achilles tendon with a dangerous, studs-up challenge. While Marciniak awarded Algeria a free-kick, he opted not to show Messi a card—a decision that has sparked outrage in the Algerian camp, especially as it occurred between Messi’s first and second goals.
In addition to the Messi incident, the FAF highlighted two other major refereeing oversights. An unpunished incident where the midfielder Alexis Mac Allister made contact with an apparent elbow on Algeria’s Hadj Moussa and a heavy, unpenalised collision involving the Algerian forward, Ibrahim Maza.
Reacting to the controversy during his post-match press conference, Algeria’s head coach, Vladimir Petkovic, stated that “It’s pointless commenting on hypothetical situations, but everyone saw it, including me.”
Double standards? South Africa coach explodes
The fallout from the Messi incident has already reverberated across the tournament, sparking accusations of favoritism toward superstar players.
On Thursday, South Africa’s Themba Zwane was slapped with a hefty three-match ban for violent conduct after receiving a straight red card in the 84th minute of Bafana Bafana’s opener against Mexico.
Furious with the perceived double standards, South Africa’s head coach, Hugo Broos, pointed directly to Messi’s unpunished challenge when questioning Zwane’s severe suspension.
“When I see what happened with Messi, I don’t agree—certainly not—with what happened to my player,” Broos lamented. “The Mexican player blocked my player, and Themba tried to get over him, and he put his arm over his shoulder. That’s all he does. And you get a red card for that and then a three-game suspension? Sorry, but this is much, much, much too severe.”
Broos clarified that he did not wish to see football’s elite punished unnecessarily, but demanded consistency from tournament officials.
“I don’t want Messi to get a red card, because a player of that quality has to be on the pitch, as we saw against Algeria. But what was the difference between that and Zwane?” the Bafana Bafana boss questioned.
FIFA has yet to release an official statement regarding the FAF’s formal complaint.
