Referee from Netherlands vs Argentina in QF sent home post complaint from Lionel Messi: Reports

Argentina are all set to take on Croatia in the semi-finals of the ongoing FIFA World Cup 2022 hosted by Qatar and Lionel Messi, after announcing that it will be his last World Cup, is giving it his all to clinch the title. As things stand, the quarter-finals between the La Abliceleste and Netherlands turned out to be a thrilling one, given Messi and his men won the contest only in the penalty shootout.

Advertisment

Messi was unhappy with the match official Antonio Mateu Lahoz from Spain and eventually claimed that the referee should not have officiated the game. Further, the legendary footballer claimed that he was unhappy with the official but refrained to make further comments fearing a sanction or a ban ahead of a crucial match.

"After they got the draw I felt a lot of anger. I don't want to talk about the referee, because they immediately reprimand you or sanction you, but I think people saw what happened. FIFA has to review that, it can't give a referee like that a match of this importance when they're not up to the task," Messi was quoted as saying.

Antonio Mateu Lahoz sent home post complaint from Lionel Messi

Advertisment

As things stand, reports emerged on December 13, Tuesday, claiming that the referee was sent home after FIFA received a lot of complaints. While it remains to be seen if the official update would come out soon, fans claimed that it was a moral victory for Messi, who was extremely unhappy with the way the referee officiated the game.

"We didn't have a great game, and then the referee sent it to extra time. He was always against us. In the last play, it was not a foul. We didn't want extra time or penalties. We suffered too much because of how everything happened, but it is the quarter-finals of a World Cup. We knew how to suffer when it was our turn, but we got through to the semi-finals. It's beautiful, something impressive," Messi was quoted as saying on Argentia's win.