Algeria have officially lodged a complaint with FIFA over what they described as poor refereeing during their 3-0 defeat to Argentina in the FIFA World Cup 2026, a source familiar with the matter told Reuters on Friday.
The complaint was submitted to FIFA's refereeing commission and highlighted several incidents that Algeria believe were not dealt with appropriately during the Group J encounter.
Key Incidents Cited
One of the key incidents cited in the letter occurred during the first half when Argentina captain Lionel Messi appeared to step on the calf of Algeria skipper Aissa Mandi. Fans called for Messi to be sent off after he made contact from behind with a raised boot. However, no disciplinary action was taken against the Argentine captain, who remained on the pitch and later scored all three goals in Argentina's victory.
Algeria have also raised concerns over an alleged elbow by Argentina midfielder Alexis Mac Allister on Ibrahim Maza in the second half of the match in Kansas City, which went unpunished by Polish referee Szymon Marciniak. Marciniak, who officiated the 2022 World Cup final between Argentina and France, was reportedly close to the incident when Mac Allister appeared to challenge Maza with a raised elbow.
Messi's Hat-Trick Performance
Messi produced a stunning performance as Argentina defeated Algeria 3-0 in their World Cup opener, scoring a hat-trick and leading the defending champions in dominant fashion. He opened the scoring with a powerful long-range effort before doubling the lead with a poacher's finish following a rebound. He completed his hat-trick in the 76th minute with a composed curling strike.
The hat-trick was Messi's first in FIFA World Cup history and saw him draw level with Germany's Miroslav Klose as the joint-highest scorer in men's World Cup history with 16 goals. The milestone came just days before Messi's 39th birthday and exactly 20 years after he scored his first World Cup goal in 2006. Making his 200th appearance for Argentina, Messi produced a vintage display of creativity, control, and finishing to guide his team to a convincing victory.
Upcoming Matches
Argentina will next face Austria in Dallas on Monday, while Algeria are scheduled to take on Jordan in San Francisco.
