Algeria Protests 'Refereeing Injustice' Against Argentina to FIFA

Kansas City – The Algerian Football Federation (FAF) has lodged a formal appeal with FIFA, citing "refereeing injustice" in their 3-0 defeat to Argentina at the 2026 World Cup. The complaint centers on several on-field incidents, most notably a tackle by Argentine superstar Lionel Messi, which the FAF believes warranted a red card.

Messi, who scored a hat-trick in the match, made a forceful tackle from behind on Algerian defender Aïssa Mandi in the 30th minute. Despite the severity of the challenge, the referee issued no card. The FAF argues that this incident, along with two other elbowing fouls on Algerian players Ibrahim Maza and Anis Hadj Moussa, were clear grounds for expulsion.

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The Argentine team was not strong, but we cannot remain silent in the face of injustice. Three actions were perfectly clear, and VAR did not intervene.

A source within the FAF stated, "We are not saying the Argentine team was not strong, but we cannot remain silent in the face of injustice. Three actions were perfectly clear, and VAR did not intervene." The federation submitted its appeal the day after the match, emphasizing that while they do not expect the result to be overturned, they want the refereeing commission to review the actions.

"We do not expect a change in the result, but we know that each match is evaluated by the refereeing committee, which then makes the appropriate decisions," the source added. This appeal comes as Messi continues to break World Cup scoring records, having equaled Miroslav Klose's 16 goals with his performance against Algeria. Algeria's next match is against Jordan.

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We do not expect a change in the result, but we know that each match is evaluated by the refereeing committee, which then makes the appropriate decisions.