Louis van Gaal accused FIFA of rigging the 2022 World Cup in Qatar to help Lionel Messi win the tournament
The former Netherlands coach, who was in charge of his country when they were eliminated by Argentina in the quarterfinals, claims that the South American side were favored by the referees throughout the tournament.
Van Gaal specifically cited the quarterfinal match between Argentina and the Netherlands, in which Argentina won 4-3 on penalties after the game was tied 2-2 after extra time. Van Gaal believes that Argentina should have been penalized for several infringements, including crossing the line during throw-ins.
“I don’t really want to say much about it,” Van Gaal said. “But if you see how Argentina gets the goals and how we get the goals and how some of Argentina’s players crossed the line and weren’t punished, then I think it’s all preconceived game.”
Van Gaal’s accusations have been met with skepticism by some, but others have expressed concern that FIFA may have been trying to ensure that Messi won the World Cup before he retires. Messi has long been considered one of the greatest players of all time, but he had never won the World Cup before Qatar 2022.
FIFA has denied any wrongdoing, but the controversy is likely to overshadow Messi’s victory.
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