Lionel Messi makes history with a World Cup hat-trick and stays on the field as Argentina wins!
Lionel Messi made history with an amazing World Cup hat-trick against Algeria, but some fans think the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner got lucky by not receiving a red card in the opening match.
Messi matched Miroslav Klose’s record of 16 World Cup goals with three incredible strikes, including a beautiful goal 17 minutes into the game. The reigning world champions won comfortably in Kansas City, and Messi also broke Cristiano Ronaldo’s record as the oldest player to score a World Cup hat-trick.
However, Messi was involved in some controversy when he made a poor challenge on Algeria captain Aissa Mandi just after 30 minutes. After losing the ball, Messi tried to win it back, but he accidentally raked his studs down Mandi’s calf as the defender got in his way. Mandi fell in pain, and Messi immediately raised his hands and checked on him.
Despite this reckless challenge, the referee, Szymon Marciniak, chose not to punish Messi after a VAR review. Messi avoided any punishment and went on to score two more goals in the second half.
Many fans took to social media, saying Messi should have gotten a red card and some even accused FIFA of “rigging” the tournament. One wrote, “There’s no way this isn’t a red card. Even Messi knew he messed up. They didn’t even give him a yellow.” Another said, “FIFA needs to explain why Messi wasn’t sent off.” And one more added, “This should have been a straight red card, but since FIFA is always scripted, we have to accept it.”
Messi had recently recovered from a hamstring injury suffered while playing for Inter Miami in the MLS. After scoring his first goal, he was seen wiping away tears with his shirt. Later, he explained that his tears were for something unrelated to football and thanked his teammates for their support during a tough time.
He said, “I cried after the first goal, but it was not about football. I went through some hard days, but I’m very grateful to my teammates and the whole team for always being there and giving me strength.”
Argentina will play again on Monday against Austria at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, with Messi just one goal away from becoming the all-time top scorer in World Cup history.