Lionel Messi made a spectacular start to Argentina’s World Cup title defence, scoring a hat-trick in a 3-0 win over Algeria in Group J on Monday night.
With his three goals, the Argentine star equalled Miroslav Klose’s legendary record as the top scorer in World Cup history. Both now have 16 goals each in football’s most prestigious tournament.
However, Messi’s evening was not without controversy. Just minutes after putting Argentina ahead in the 17th minute, the 38-year-old was involved in a controversial incident with Algerian defender Aissa Mandi.
Messi carelessly tackled his opponent with his heels raised, forcing the referee to stop play and award a free kick to Algeria. However, the referee decided not to book him, despite the dangerous nature of the tackle.
The decision caused numerous reactions on social media, where fans harshly criticized the referee for the tolerance shown towards the Argentine captain.
“This was a clear red card and he didn’t even get a yellow card, even after the VAR check,” one fan wrote.
“Messi just got away with an absolutely horrific tackle on the leg of an Algerian defender,” another reacted.
“There’s no way this isn’t a red card. Even Messi himself understood the mistake he made. They didn’t even give him a yellow card,” was another comment that received a lot of attention.
Despite the controversy surrounding the incident, Messi continued his fantastic performance and scored two more goals, sealing Argentina’s convincing 3-0 victory in the opening match of the World Cup.
After the match, the legendary striker downplayed the importance of equalling the record with Klose, stressing that statistics are not his main priority.
“It’s an honor. Mbappe and Ronaldo are there, but these numbers don’t mean everything. They’re just statistics. Ronaldo is one of the greatest and he’s not in first place, so it’s just a statistic,” Messi told Argentine newspaper La Nacion.
He then commented on his team’s performance in the success against Algeria.
“We were well positioned when we had the ball and we managed the game very well. We have experience from the last World Cup and we know that no one forgives you anything,” concluded the Argentina captain.
