Algeria have lodged a complaint with FIFA after claiming Lionel Messi should have been sent off during Argentina's World Cup victory and questioning why VAR did not intervene.
Algeria have formally complained to FIFA following their World Cup defeat to Argentina, alleging serious refereeing errors and claiming Lionel Messi should have been sent off for a challenge on defender Aissa Mandi.
The Algerian Football Federation has reportedly filed a complaint with FIFA over what it described as "refereeing injustice" during the team's Group J defeat to Argentina national football team.
Also Read
The complaint centres on a challenge involving Lionel Messi and Algeria defender Aissa Mandi during the first half of the match.
According to Algerian officials, Messi's studs-up tackle on Mandi's calf from behind warranted a red card, but neither the referee nor VAR took disciplinary action.
Messi stayed on and scored a hat-trick
The incident occurred after Messi had already opened the scoring for Argentina.
The eight-time Ballon d'Or winner remained on the field and went on to score a hat-trick, helping Argentina secure a comfortable victory in their World Cup opener.
Messi's three goals also saw him draw level with Miroslav Klose as the joint-highest scorer in World Cup history with 16 goals.
Algeria also raises VAR concerns
Algerian officials argued that the disputed tackle was not the only controversial moment in the match.
According to a federation source, two separate elbow incidents also deserved red cards and should have prompted intervention from VAR officials.
The source reportedly stated that Algeria was not disputing Argentina's quality but could not remain silent about what it viewed as clear refereeing mistakes.
Pressure mounts before next group match
Despite the controversy, Algeria must quickly shift focus to its upcoming Group J fixtures.
The North African side will face Jordan national football team in its second match before taking on Austria national football team later in the group stage.
Meanwhile, Argentina will continue its campaign against Austria as it seeks to build momentum toward another deep World Cup run.
Knockout hopes still alive
Algeria are aiming to reach the World Cup knockout stage for only the second time in their history. Their best performance came in 2014 when they reached the last 16 before losing to eventual champions Germany after extra time.
While FIFA has not publicly responded to the complaint, the incident has reignited debate over refereeing standards and VAR's role at major international tournaments.
Published: 20 Jun 2026, 10:28 am IST
Disclaimer: Kindly avoid objectionable, derogatory, unlawful and lewd comments, while responding to reports. Such comments are punishable under cyber laws. Please keep away from personal attacks. The opinions expressed here are the personal opinions of readers and not that of Mathrubhumi.