Sports Desk: Algeria has officially lodged a complaint with FIFA over the refereeing decisions during its FIFA World Cup 2026 group-stage match against Argentina, particularly involving captain Lionel Messi, who escaped disciplinary action following a controversial challenge. The Algerian Football Federation (FAF) submitted its complaint to FIFA’s Refereeing Commission after Argentina’s 3-0 victory over Algeria. The federation questioned the decision of referee Szymon Marciniak and the VAR officials not to penalise Messi for a first-half challenge on Algerian captain Aissa Mandi, an incident many believed warranted at least a yellow card and possibly a red.
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Algeria’s complaint also highlighted another contentious moment involving Argentina midfielder Alexis Mac Allister, who allegedly struck Algerian player Ibrahim Maza with an elbow. The North African nation argued that neither incident was adequately reviewed by VAR despite their potential impact on the outcome of the match. Messi went on to score a hat-trick as defending champions Argentina secured a comfortable win in their tournament opener. However, the controversy has continued to dominate discussions, with former referees and football analysts divided over whether the challenge merited a sending-off.
The incident has sparked broader debate about refereeing consistency and VAR implementation at the World Cup, with some observers questioning whether star players receive preferential treatment. FIFA has yet to issue an official response to Algeria’s complaint. Argentina will face Austria in their next Group J fixture, while Algeria will look to revive their campaign against Jordan.
