Algeria files FIFA complaint refereeing in Argentina loss

The Algerian Football Federation has lodged a formal complaint with FIFA over refereeing decisions in its team's 3-0 loss to Argentina in a FIFA World Cup 2026 group stage match. The complaint centers on two first-half incidents involving Argentine stars Lionel Messi and Alexis Mac Allister that went unpunished by the officiating crew.

Algeria contends that Messi should have been sent off in the 31st minute for a challenge on defender Aïssa Mandi, which the federation described as a step on the back of Mandi's calf and Achilles tendon. Despite appeals from Algerian players and subsequent debate online, Polish referee Szymon Marciniak, who officiated the 2022 World Cup final, issued only a verbal warning. The complaint also highlights a second-half incident where Mac Allister was alleged to have caught Algerian player Ibrahim Maza with a raised elbow, another event for which no disciplinary action was taken.

The controversy unfolded despite a dominant individual performance from Messi, who scored all three goals in Argentina's victory. His hat-trick, completed with a curling finish in the 76th minute, brought his total World Cup goals to 16, tying the all-time men's record held...