Algeria files FIFA complaint over Messi tackle in World Cup opener

On June 20, 2026, the Algerian Football Federation lodged a formal complaint with FIFA alleging refereeing errors in its 3‑0 group‑stage loss to Argentina at the World Cup in Kansas City. The federation argues that Lionel Messi’s studs‑up challenge on defender Aïssa Mandi should have resulted in a red card, and cites two elbow incidents that also warranted dismissals. Messi went on to score a hat‑trick, tying Miroslav Klose’s record of 16 World Cup goals. The complaint was submitted within FIFA’s regulatory deadline; the governing body has not yet issued a response.

The controversy escalated when Algerian television pundit Mustapha al‑Maazouzi accused a “Jewish lobby” of protecting Messi, prompting the National Independent Authority for the Regulation of Audiovisual Media to issue a statement condemning the remarks as defamatory and inflammatory and warning broadcasters against similar breaches.