"Disgusting, a fraud": Messi's 17th World Cup goal sparks controversy over a refereeing error... Legend Schmeichel also claims "he kicked him before the goal"; allegations of FIFA special treatment emerge

*This content was translated by AI.

Controversy over a refereeing error has erupted regarding Lionel Messi's (39, Inter Miami) record for most goals in World Cup history.

The UK's "The Sun" reported on the 23rd (Korea time) that "Manchester United legend Peter Schmeichel argued that Messi's goal should not have been allowed."

Argentina secured a 2-0 victory against Austria in the second group stage match of the 2026 FIFA North American World Cup, held at Dallas Stadium in Arlington, Texas, USA, on this day, thanks to Messi's two goals. With two consecutive wins, Argentina (6 points) has already qualified for the Round of 32, regardless of the outcome of their remaining match against Jordan.

On this day, Messi scored two goals, recording consecutive multi-goal performances in two matches following his hat-trick against Algeria in the group stage's first match. In particular, with his 17th and 18th career World Cup goals, Messi surpassed Miroslav Klose (Germany)'s 16 goals to take sole first place in the all-time top scorer list for World Cup finals. This is a historic achievement completed in his sixth appearance, starting with his first goal at the 2006 Germany World Cup. Additionally, he leads the tournament's scoring chart with a total of five goals.

However, Schmeichel pointed out that Argentina committed a foul during the process of Messi's opening goal, which was also his 17th World Cup goal, in the 38th minute of the first half. He criticized the referee for missing the foul committed by Alexis Mac Allister (Liverpool) against Xaver Schlager (Leipzig).

Speaking on US "Fox Sports," Schmeichel raised his voice, stating, "Messi's goal should have been disallowed. Mac Allister kicked Schlager from behind. A free kick should have been awarded, of course." He added, "The video assistant referee (VAR) decision should have been corrected. It was an obvious mistake by the referee."

Fans also expressed anger over the decision. According to The Sun, fans strongly protested via social media (SNS), saying, "FIFA is corrupt. Why wasn't VAR used for the foul committed against the Austrian player? It's a fraud," "FIFA is giving special treatment to Argentina. Messi's foul in the previous match should have resulted in a red card," and "The process before the goal was an obvious foul. It's disgusting."

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*This content was translated by AI.