Alejandro Moreno, a former footballer turned pundit, has strongly criticized the referee for failing to send off Lionel Messi during Argentina’s World Cup match against Algeria. Despite Messi’s hat-trick securing a 3-0 victory, Moreno believes the Argentine icon should have been shown a red card for a dangerous tackle in the first half.
Around the 30-minute mark, Messi caught Algeria’s Aissa Mandi with a studs-up challenge on the calf. Referee Szymon Marciniak, however, let play continue without even issuing a yellow card. Later, Messi added two more goals in the second half to complete his treble.
Speaking on ESPN, Moreno expressed his outrage: “That’s absolutely a red card for Messi. No debate. It’s even more troubling when you see Gianni Infantino smiling in the stands after Luca Zidane saved one of Messi’s shots. That feeds the narrative that superstars get special treatment.”
Moreno also questioned why the VAR did not instruct Marciniak to review the incident. “The live action alone showed it was a bad challenge. The replay confirmed it. Why wasn’t the referee called over? It was reckless—studs raking from knee to ankle. Messi should have been sent off.”
The controversy is heightened by the fact that Marciniak also officiated the 2022 World Cup final between Argentina and France, sparking further debate about potential bias.