Hackett Says Messi Escaped Red Card in Argentina's 3-0 Win After Studs-Up Tackle

Q: After a brutal foul went unpunished, will FIFA suspend Lionel Messi and derail Argentina's title defense?

No. Based on the information available, FIFA has not suspended Lionel Messi and there is no sign, at this stage, that Argentina’s title defense is being derailed by retrospective punishment. The incident in Argentina’s 3-0 win over Algeria has triggered heavy criticism because Messi’s studs-up challenge on Aissa Mandi looked serious and many analysts said it met the threshold for a straight red card. Former PGMOL chief Keith Hackett called it “violent conduct,” while ESPN’s Ale Moreno said it was “100 per cent a red card.” Referee Szymon Marciniak gave only a foul, and VAR did not intervene. That matters because if Messi had been sent off during the match, he would have faced an automatic three-game ban, a major blow to Argentina early in the tournament. Instead, he stayed on, completed a hat-trick, and drew level with Miroslav Klose on 16 World Cup goals. But criticism alone does not mean a suspension is coming. The material provided contains no official FIFA statement, no announced disciplinary case, and no evidence that post-match action has been opened against Messi. FIFA’s disciplinary rules do allow further sanctions in some cases, but there is nothing here showing that process has begun. So the practical answer is that Messi escaped punishment on the night, and unless FIFA unexpectedly opens retrospective proceedings, he remains available for Argentina’s next match against Austria on June 22.

1 articles · Updated · Yahoo Sports · Jun 17

Keith Hackett said Lionel Messi should have been sent off for "violent conduct" after a studs-up challenge on Algeria captain Aissa Mandi went unpunished in Argentina's 3-0 win.
Messi raked his studs down Mandi's calf while the defender controlled the ball, Hackett said, adding the referee showed neither a red nor even a yellow card.
The incident came between Messi's first and second goals in a hat-trick that drew him level with Miroslav Klose as the World Cup's all-time top scorer.
A straight red would have triggered an automatic three-game ban, a major blow to defending champion Argentina ahead of its next match against Austria on June 22.

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Yahoo Sports6h ago

Former PGMOL Boss Keith Hackett Criticizes Lionel Messi's Unpunished "Violent Conduct" Tackle on Aissa Mandi

After a brutal foul went unpunished, will FIFA suspend Lionel Messi and derail Argentina's title defense?

Did the world's best referee protect a superstar, or is the VAR system simply failing at the World Cup?

With US cities paying millions for the World Cup, is FIFA’s business model a raw deal for American taxpayers?

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Yahoo Sports6h ago

Former PGMOL Boss Keith Hackett Criticizes Lionel Messi's Unpunished "Violent Conduct" Tackle on Aissa Mandi

Hackett Says Messi Escaped Red Card in Argentina's 3-0 Win After Studs-Up Tackle

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