After Argentina conceded a late equaliser to draw the game at 2-2, requiring extra time, Lionel Messi was warned in the 10th minute of the second half of extra time.
Argentina's captain Lionel Messi put an end to a contentious match against the Netherlands in the quarterfinals of the FIFA World Cup 2022 last weekend. Messi was spotted fighting with Dutch coach Louis van Gaal and then criticised FIFA referee Antonio Mateu Lahoz after Argentina's penalty shootout win.
Due to his criticism of the referee during the game, FIFA has begun disciplinary proceedings against Messi. Now we await a ruling from FIFA's disciplinary committee. Antonio Mateu Lahoz had to hand down 16 cautions.
After the penalty shootout ended, Dutch player Denzel Dumfries was ejected for violent conduct during the incident, receiving two yellow cards.
Lionel Messi and Argentine goalkeeper Emi Martinez both had harsh words for referee Antonio Mateu Lahoz after the game.
Should we expect Lionel Messi to be available for Argentina's semifinal match against Croatia?
After the Argentine icon had an argument with the referee over a call, FIFA began keeping a tight eye on him. Messi received a yellow card in the tenth minute of second-half extra time after Argentina conceded a late equaliser to draw the game at 2-2 and force extra time.
A video surfaced of Messi voicing his displeasure with the Spanish official. World Cup regulations provide that if a referee documents such an incident in his match report, FIFA has the right to investigate and take disciplinary action. Referee Lahoz reported the incident, leading to disciplinary action being taken against him by FIFA.
How long can Lionel Messi be STOPPED?
The severity of the infraction reported by the referee will decide the severity of the penalty; if the FIFA disciplinary committee finds that Messi was engaged in a severe violation of rules, he may be subject to punishments including match suspensions. But if he hasn't infringed any regulations, he may only get a warning for the future and be able to play in the semi-final against Croatia.
If Messi is banned for the semi-final match, he'll join Marcos Acuna and Gonzalo Montiel on the list of Argentine players who won't be able to participate. Argentina beat the Netherlands 4-3 on penalties after the game ended in a 2-2 stalemate on Friday at Lusail Stadium, setting a new World Cup record for the number of yellow cards handed.
Coach Zlatko Dalic of Croatia expressed optimism on Monday that his team's next World Cup semi-final against Argentina will be played in a more cordial manner than Argentina's qualifying match against the Netherlands, which saw 16 yellow cards and one red. After blowing a two-goal lead, the Argentines finally triumphed on penalties, although the game was overshadowed by disciplinary breaches on both sides.
Lionel Messi, captain of Argentina, had words with Louis van Gaal, coach of the Netherlands, after the game, calling one of his players a "stupid." After beating Argentina in a World Cup group stage match in 2018, Croatia's coach, Zlatko Dalic, was not shaken by Argentina's then-head coach, Jorge Sampaoli.
But Dalic claimed he had no ill will after his side overcame tournament favourites Brazil on penalties to go to the World Cup quarterfinals for the second year in a row. I get that tension was high and that there were many moving parts at play (in 2018). Dalic said during a press conference on Monday, "It happens, and we will not carry any grudges."
To paraphrase, "I never lash out at someone because I'm upset. There were a lot of off-the-field incidents of a similar kind in the Argentines' match versus the Netherlands. To be honest, I'm crossing my fingers that tomorrow is different.
Comments