Algeria has lodged an official complaint with FIFA over refereeing decisions during their 3-0 World Cup loss to Lionel Messi’s Argentina.
Algeria has officially escalated their frustrations to FIFA, lodging a formal complaint regarding the officiating during their recent 3-0 World Cup defeat against Argentina. The Algerian federation is demanding a review of several high-profile incidents that they believe directly altered the course of the Group J match in Kansas City.
At the heart of the appeal is an unpunished first-half challenge where Lionel Messi caught Algerian captain Aissa Mandi with a raised boot. Fans and officials were left furious when the superstar escaped discipline, later going on to net a decisive hat-trick.
The grievances also target referee Szymon Marciniak’s failure to penalize Alexis Mac Allister for an apparent second-half elbow on Ibrahim Maza.
The controversy has sparked global debate, with South Africa coach Hugo Broos even questioning whether star status influenced the VAR team’s leniency, contrasting it sharply with harsher punishments handed to other players in the tournament.