Lionel Messi, Argentina, Algeria, Aissa Mandi, Simon Marciniak
17 June 2026
Lionel Messi’s hat-trick against Algeria has drawn a fresh officiating debate after pundits argued he should have been sent off for catching Aissa Mandi’s calf. The incident went unpunished despite replay criticism and VAR scrutiny after the match.
ESPN analysts said the contact looked worthy of a red card and questioned why Simon Marciniak was not sent to the monitor. Argentina still won 3-0, but the decision strengthened concerns over superstar treatment at the World Cup.