Messi hat-trick overshadowed by alleged red-card incident against Algeria

Argentina’s star footballer Lionel Messi has once again come under spotlight after securing a stunning hat-trick against Algeria during the 2026 FIFA World Cup match in Kansas City on Tuesday night. Argentina won the match 3-0.

However, fans noticed an unusual development when the referee didn’t penalise the striker for an apparent foul. 

Eagle eyed viewers spotted Messi stamping on the calf and Achilles area of Algeria’s Aissa Mandi from behind while making a tackle. According to netizens, that was a clear foul and deserved a red card but the referee didn’t even warn Argentina’s national team captain.

Several pages on X, known for sharing football-related news, shared the slow motion clips of the alleged foul that were later removed due to copyright claims. 

Fans accused the World Cup of being rigged due to lack of punishment for the master dribbler.

One of the fans severely criticized the player and described him as “FIFA Boy”. They wrote, “He's a FIFA boy. Always favored, still couldn't compete in goals with Ronaldo (THE GOAT).”

Another chimed in, “If that was any player besides Messi it would have been red.” A third one expressed, “I love Messi but not giving him even a yellow card for the foul is wild.” The ref didn’t call for a VAR check.

Not only fans but former soccer players have also expressed concerns over lack of consequences for the player’s actions. 

Speaking to ESPN, former football stars Ale Moreno and Nedum Onuoha said, “It's 100% a red card for Lionel Messi. It should've been."

Messi, FIFA or the referee haven’t yet reacted to the criticism.