Did Lionel Messi Escape a Red Card?

With his hat-trick against Algeria, Lionel Messi made a brilliant start to the World Cup, once again becoming the talk of the football world. However, a crucial moment in Argentina's last match could have significantly altered the outcome. In the 31st minute, Messi made a dangerous tackle on Aïssa Mandi's right leg but remarkably escaped even a yellow card. Meanwhile, social media users were quick to point out that similar fouls have often resulted in direct red cards.

At the time of the foul, Messi had already scored the first of his three goals.

The match was officiated by Polish referee Szymon Marciniak, who also famously refereed the 2022 World Cup final, which Argentina won against France.