A verdict has now been given after Lionel Messi controversially avoided punishment for a bad challenge during Argentina’s opening 2026 World Cup match against Algeria.

Messi, 39 next week, became the World Cup’s joint all-time leading goalscorer alongside Germany legend Miroslav Klose after scoring his 14th, 15th and 16th goals in a 3-0 win for the reigning champions.

The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner, whose chances of winning the prestigious individual accolade for a record-breaking ninth time have increased following his latest hat-trick, scored his first goal in the 17th minute with a strike from outside the box which flew past Algeria goalkeeper Luca Zidane – son of France great, Zinedine.

Messi went on to complete his hat-trick in the second half with two more goals in 16 minutes, securing another World Cup Player of the Match award in the process.

Messi Avoids Punishment For Poor Challenge

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However, many football fans on social media are convinced Messi should have been sent off following an incident involving Algeria defender Aissa Mandi.

Argentina were only 1-0 up at the time when Mandi was left in pain on the ground following Messi’s poor challenge. Watch the incident below:

To the surprise of many, the incident wasn’t penalised by Polish referee Szymon Marciniak – who took charge of the 2022 World Cup final between Argentina and France – or VAR.

According to the Daily Mail, fans have reacted by claiming the 2026 World Cup is already ‘rigged’, with one person commenting: “Messi escaping red. No VAR check. Jesus. Just give Argentina the trophy”.

Pundits Cast Clear Verdict Over Messi Incident

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Amid the social media furore, ESPN’s pundits have cast a clear verdict over the incident, explaining why Messi should have been sent off.

Former Manchester City and England Under-21 defender Nedum Onuoha said: “I’m going to approach this the same way Messi did and I think it should have been a red card, in my opinion. It feels like the moment was missed.

“When the player was on the floor, you could see Messi had a level of concern towards him because he knew that he’d potentially just done something that could get him in trouble.

“In the commentary, they didn’t even say anything happened. We watched the video of it and were like ‘that’s quite bad’ and they were like ‘yeah, well you know, it’s good to see Messi pressing’.”

Onuoha’s co-pundit, the former Venezuela international Ale Moreno, went even further by claiming it was “100% a red card for Lionel Messi. It should have been.”

Moreno continued: “I tell you what else is concerning, and it plays along this narrative that great players get preferential treatment… when he was about the score a hat-trick, and the goalkeeper Zidane actually made a save, they showed [FIFA president] Gianni Infantino smiling and was like ‘oh man, that was close!’

“It does play into that narrative that these guys get different sort of treatment.”

He added: “Why is Szymon Marciniak not being called over to see this? It should have been a red card for Lionel Messi.

“As much as I love Lionel Messi, that was a clumsy challenge, a bad challenge, you’re raking the back of someone’s calf all the way from the knee down to the ankle. Should have been a red card.” Watch the clip below:

Argentina face Austria in their second Group J match on June 22 before taking on Jordan five days later. Austria secured a 2-1 win over Jordan in the group’s other opening fixture.

Liverpool have a major task on their hands this summer as they look to replace club legend Mohamed Salah after the Egyptian’s nine-year spell at Anfield came to an end last month.

Across nine seasons, Salah made 442 appearances, registered 380 goal contributions and won a handful of trophies and personal accolades, including a Champions League and two Premier Leagues.

Given the scale of the job at hand, Liverpool are expected to sign at least two wingers this summer with RB Leipzig’s Yan Diomande the Reds’ top target.

Leipzig are expected to demand a significant transfer fee in excess of £100million and Liverpool aren’t the only ones showing interest in the Ivorian with PSG also pushing to sign the attacker. However, it looks as though the Reds have now made clear progress in their pursuit of Diomande.

Diomande wants to play for Andoni Iraola

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According to Liverpool reporter James William, Diomande is ‘eager to join Iraola’s plans’ as the Reds make progress in their attempt to sign the 19-year-old.

Additionally, according to TEAMtalk, Liverpool have been in ‘constructive dialogue’ with Leipzig and Iraola is ‘actively pushing’ for his new employers to get a deal done.

With a move to Merseyside seemingly Diomande’s preference, it looks as though Liverpool are in a strong position to beat PSG or any other interested clubs to the teenager’s signature.

However, the report from TEAMtalk adds that Leipzig are expected to demand a fee in the region of €130million, having only signed the winger from Leganes a year ago for around €20million.

Have Liverpool found their Salah replacement?

Whether they can get a deal over the line is yet to be seen, but it certainly feels as though Liverpool have found a suitable replacement for Salah in Diomande.

Still just 19, the teenager has significant potential and is already performing at a high level. Last season saw the winger score 13 goals and register 10 assists in 36 appearances for Leipzig, while he starred in the Ivory Coast’s 1-0 win over Ecuador in their World Cup opener on Monday.

At his best, Salah was dynamic, versatile and potent in front of goal. Those are all characteristics Diomande is demonstrating with room for improvement that a move to a more competitive league like the Premier League will provide.

Salah’s legacy at Anfield cannot be replicated but it does appear as though Liverpool have identified a winger who could significantly fill the void that the Egyptian is leaving behind.

Roberto De Zerbi is currently in the process of shaping his Tottenham Hotspur squad after arriving in north London late into last season to keep Spurs in the Premier League.

Tottenham narrowly avoided relegation to the Championship and have finished 17th in the Premier League in back-to-back seasons, something De Zerbi wants to leave in the past.

The Italian has already overseen a fast start to the club’s recruitment, bringing in defenders Andy Robertson and Marcos Senesi on free transfers from Liverpool and Bournemouth respectively. Additionally, star player Pedro Porro has signed a new five-year contract while the club are getting closer to sealing a deal to sign Brighton and Hove Albion centre-back Jan-Paul van Hecke.

Although the club are in need of new faces, Tottenham will also be looking to keep hold of any players De Zerbi sees as part of the future. The Spurs boss has reportedly already been on the phone to at least one.

De Zerbi blocks potential Mathys Tel exit

Mathys Tel is one of the players who appeared to have an uncertain future in north London, particularly amid Spurs’ pursuit of Manchester City winger Savinho.

However, according to football.london, De Zerbi had a conversation with Tel before his off-season break to assure the 21-year-old that he is part of the Italian’s plans at Tottenham and won’t be leaving the club under his watch.

Tel has already been linked with Bournemouth and clubs across Europe but now looks to be staying put.

The French forward was an important player for De Zerbi in the final weeks of last season, registering an assist in the 2-1 win at Aston Villa before scoring in the 1-1 draw against Leeds United the following week.

His fortunes at Spurs have been mixed since his arrival from Bayern Munich, initially on loan before a permanent switch last summer, but has clearly shown De Zerbi enough to think he is worth having around.

Spurs need Mathys Tel

One of the biggest talking points regarding Tottenham’s woeful season last term was the number of serious injuries that kept big-name players unavailable for extended periods.

Both Xavi Simons and Wilson Odobert aren’t expected to be back fit until 2027 with respective anterior cruciate ligament injuries, meaning that there is still a gap in the forward line that needs to be filled.

Spurs may still complete a deal for Savinho, but that shouldn’t dictate whether or not Tel has a future at the club. At 21, the Frenchman is still in the early stages of his career and has shown plenty of potential.

With a deal running until 2031, Tottenham could set a significant price tag for the forward but cashing in after just one year would be bad business.