Messi’s FIFA bias again? The fans ignored the foul before the Argentine star’s record goal
Lionel Messi made World Cup history on Tuesday night, but his record goal against Austria quickly became the center of fresh controversy. Moments after the Argentina captain overtook Miroslav Klose as the tournament’s all-time top scorer, social media was awash with claims the goal should never have stood.
The debate centered around the run-up to Messi’s opener in Argentina’s 2-0 win over Austria in Dallas. While the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner was busy celebrating his 17th World Cup goal, fans, pundits and former players were busy replaying the incident involving Alexis Mac Allister and Austria midfielder Xaver Schlager.
ARGENTINA vs. AUSTRIA, FIFA WORLD CUP 2026: HIGHLIGHTS
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Peter Schmeichel says Lionel Messi’s goal shouldn’t have stood because of a foul in the set-piece.
Messi played two World Cup matches and was favored by FIFA in both. FIFA has lost its credibility. pic.twitter.com/w5FCgWDKaI— Nuel (@LfcNuel) June 22, 2026
Argentina entered the match with momentum firmly on their side after an impressive 3-0 win over Algeria in their Group J opener, a game in which Messi scored the first World Cup hat-trick of his career. Austria also started strongly, beating Jordan 3-1 and knowing another win would put them on the brink of qualification.
With both sides winning their opening games, Dallas hosted one of the most anticipated matches of the tournament’s group stage.
The spotlight, unsurprisingly, belonged to Messi. The Argentina captain equaled Miroslav Klose’s 16 goals at the World Cup and needed just one strike to become the competition’s clear top scorer. He even had an early opportunity to break the penalty kick record but stretched his effort wide, allowing Austria to settle into the match and make life difficult for the reigning champions.
When Messi finally found the breakthrough before half-time, the celebrations were immediate. So was the controversy.
WHY ARE FANS TALKING ABOUT VAR?
The incident that sparked the debate happened seconds before Messi’s historic goal.
As Argentina built their attack, Alexis Mac Allister appeared to swoop in from behind and bring down Xaver Schlager without touching the ball. The Austrian midfielder fell to the turf, but the referee let the game continue.
Argentina quickly worked the ball forward and the move eventually ended with Messi using a finish to score his 17th World Cup goal to move ahead of Klose in the all-time goalscoring charts.
The referee did not call a foul and VAR decided not to intervene or recommend a check on the pitch.
The decision quickly became one of the biggest topics online.
Among the most vocal critics of the decision was former Manchester United and Denmark goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel. During the broadcast, Schmeichel questioned how the challenge on Schlager escaped punishment, claiming the attack should have been stopped long before the ball reached Messi.
His criticism quickly gained traction online, with many fans citing the former goalkeeper’s comments and debating whether Argentina had benefited from another favorable call.
Others defended the officials, insisting the challenge did not meet the threshold needed for VAR intervention.
Whatever the interpretation, the incident immediately reignited the familiar debate involving Argentina, Messi and the controversial decision of the authority.
WHY DID THE DECISION DIVIDE FANS?
The controversy comes less than a week after another referee debate Argentina and Messi during the opening win against Algeria.
In that match, Messi escaped without a booking after catching Algerian captain Assa Mandi on the calf with a raised challenge as he attempted to push high up the pitch. The referee awarded a free kick but chose not to show a yellow or red card, while VAR also refused to intervene.
The incident drew widespread criticism, with some analysts claiming there was insufficient force for the red card, while others believed Messi was lucky to avoid punishment altogether. The Algerian Football Federation later lodged a formal complaint with FIFA regarding several decisions from the match, including the challenge.
Tuesday’s clash with Austria brought new controversies.
In addition to the foul in the build-up to Messi’s record-breaking goal, another incident with Lautaro Martinez attracted considerable attention. The Argentina striker appeared to make contact with Austria midfielder Konrad Laimer during a scramble for a loose ball, prompting immediate calls for a red card from Austrian players and supporters.
The referee decided not to take any disciplinary action, while VAR remained silent again. Footage of the challenge quickly spread across social media, with many fans claiming that Austria had once again found themselves on the wrong side of key decisions involving the defending world champions.
Whether the incidents warranted harsher penalties remains a matter of opinion, but together they contributed to an already active online discussion. For critics, the sequence of decisions reinforced long-held claims that Argentina and Messi often receive favorable treatment from officials. For others, these were just examples of the subjective calls that naturally divide opinion in modern football.
Another historic night for Messi was lost amid controversy.
The Argentina captain scored his record goal and added another deep stop after reacting quickest to a loose ball in the area. Ortéza already earned him 18 goals at the World Cup and five in the tournament.
The 2–0 victory sealed Argentina’s place in the knockout rounds with a game in hand, and Messi also became only the third player in World Cup history, after Just Fontaine and Jairzinho, to score in six consecutive World Cup matches.
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Issued by:
Debodinna Chakraborty
Published on:
23 Jun 2026 02:34 IST