Messi asks FIFA to review World Cup referee status
"The match should not have ended according to that scenario," Messi said after the match on the evening of December 9. "I don't want to talk about the referee because there will be a penalty, but everyone sees what happened. Before the game, we were concerned when we heard the referee was on the whistle, because we know how he works. FIFA has to review this because they can't arrange a referee like that in matches like this."
Referee Mateu Lahoz showed 18 yellow cards in this match, according to the FIFA homepage. This is the most yellow cards in a World Cup match of all time, surpassing the old record of 16 yellow cards in the Portugal - Netherlands round of 16 World Cup on June 25, 2006 in Nuremberg, Germany.
Of the 18 yellow cards, two were given to members of the Argentina coaching staff, assistant Walter Samuel and coach Lionel Scaloni, for his reaction. The remaining 16 cards are divided equally between the players of both teams, including Messi at the end of the second half. The match only showed one red card, for defender Denzel Dumfries. Dumfries received two consecutive yellow cards in the penalty shootout, leading to this red card. In addition, referee Lahoz also showed another yellow card to Noa Lang in the penalty shootout.
Right from the beginning of the match, the referee repeatedly reminded the Argentine coaching staff, and finally had to show a yellow card to punish assistant Samuel. Mr. Lahoz also ignored many yellow card errors, including a situation where Messi used his hand to play the ball in the 55th minute. The match also had two situations of clashes, especially in the 88th minute when midfielder Leandro Paredes fouled twice. then kicked the ball hard to the technical area of the Netherlands. Paredes was pushed down by Van Dijk, but the FIFA homepage did not record any cards for the Dutch captain.
Messi played prominently with an assist for defender Nahuel Molina to open the scoring in the 35th minute. In the 73rd minute, defender Marcos Acuna brought a penalty for Messi to take a free kick to make it 2-0. However, striker Wout Weghorst scored twice in the closing minutes to send the Netherlands into extra time and shoot out. Goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez twice blocked shots from Van Dijk and Steven Berghuis, helping Argentina win 4-2 on penalties.
Argentina will play the 2022 World Cup semi-final against Croatia at Lusail Stadium on the evening of December 13, without the pair of full-backs Gonzalo Montiel and Carlos Acuna because they have received two yellow cards. In addition, Argentina has six players who, if they receive a yellow card in the semi-finals, will be suspended in the final, including Messi.
Referee Mateu Lahoz, 45 years old, has been in charge of La Liga since 2008. He was first started at the 2018 World Cup, with three group stage matches. This is the first time he has refereed a World Cup knockout round match. Lahoz also controlled the Champions League final 2021 between Man City and Chelsea.
Dutch coach Louis van Gaal also said that Argentina's penalty was "insufficient basis". "I don't like this referee," he added. "But that's not why the Netherlands lost."
