Lionel Messi says referee 'was not up to the task' after Netherlands vs Argentina game
After Netherlands and Argentina went head to head in the world cup, Lionel Messi has spoken out over the controversial referee.
The referee in question, Antonio Mateu Lahoz, caused a bit of a stir during the quarter-final game at the World Cup yesterday.
The Albiceleste won 4-3 on penalties, but the Spanish referee found himself in hot water after giving out a whopping 16 yellow cards over the course of the match.
The way he officiated the game even caused South American goalkeeper Emi Martinez to dub Lahoz as ‘useless’.
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Messi said: “I don’t want to speak about referees because after they will sanction you. But people saw what happened.
“I think Fifa must take care of this, it cannot put a referee like that for a match of such magnitude, of such importance. The referee cannot fail to be up to the task.
“A lot of joy and relief. It wasn’t to go to penalty kicks. We suffered too much for how it all happened.
“But it’s the quarter-finals of the World Cup. Going through is the most beautiful and impressive thing.
“Argentina is among the top four because we show game after game that we know how to play each game with the same intensity, with the same will,” he concluded.
LADbible has contacted a representative of Fifa for a comment on the matter.
A vastly experienced referee, Lahoz took charge of Friday's quarter-final at Lusail Iconic Stadium in Qatar.
The La Liga official also took charge of the 2021 Champions League final between Manchester City and Chelsea.
He has been the man in the middle for three games so far at this year's World Cup.
Lahoz refereed Senegal's 3-1 win over tournament hosts Qatar in the group stage.
He then took charge of the United States' tense 1-0 win over Iran in the same group as England and Wales.
Argentina went through to the quarter-finals of the World Cup, after beating the Netherlands on penalties, in an incredibly dramatic game.
For many, the narrative of the World Cup has been about whether or not Messi would be able to finally win the game in his final attempt.
He certainly looked like he would be the one to make the difference on Friday night, to take his team through to his second semi-final.
The game went to penalties for the second time in the day after Brazil had been knocked out by Croatia in the first quarter final.
Gabriella Ferlita