"Messi should be sent off, 100%" — Alejandro Moreno, criticizing Messi's foul in Algeria match
Alejandro Moreno's commentary: Lionel Messi's red card for a foul in the group match against Algeria was questioned and referee Shimon Marciniak didn't even go for a monitor check.
Former Venezuelan forward Alejandro Moreno has criticized Lionel Messi's foul during the Argentina-Algeria World Cup 2026 World Cup 2026 group stage first match (Argentina 3-0). According to him, Messi deserves a red card for that incident.
In the first half, Messi knocked down Algerian defender Aissa Mandi Kala with studs from behind. However, the main referee Shimon Marciniak did not even show a yellow card to Messi.
"This is a 100% red card for Messi. It has to be shown. There's another question: it reinforces the notion that great players get special treatment. It looked like a foul live, the replay was even more obvious — an incident that must be looked at. But why wasn't Marciniak called to the monitor? This is a red card for Lionel Messi. As much as I love Messi, it was a slow, bad contact. "If the part touches the studs from the knee to the heel — it's a red card," Moreno told ESPN FC (on Social Network 'X').
Despite ongoing debate over Messi's decision, Argentina got off to a solid start to the group with a 3-0 win. But with Moreno's comments, the behavior of the referees in that match came under discussion again.