@dailymailsportusa: World Cup fans took to social media to claim the tournament is rigged after Lionel Messi avoided a red card for a stamp on an opponent. The superstar then went on to score a stunning hat-trick in Argentina's 3-0 victory over Algeria in Kansas City on Tuesday night. But Messi quickly became embroiled in controversy after he appeared to stamp on the calf and Achilles area of Algeria's Aissa Mandi from behind while he tried to make a tackle. Mandi went down and looked to be in pain before replays suggested Messi may have been at risk of serious punishment from the referee. But the Inter Miami forward was somehow let off entirely by Polish referee Szymon Marciniak, while the game's VAR also didn't appear to check the incident. The lack of punishment imposed on the Argentine star infuriated fans watching at home, who claimed if anybody else had made the same tackle they would have been in trouble. #messi #argentina #algeria🇩🇿 #fifaworldcup2026 #Soccer

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Wednesday 17 June 2026 17:37:32 GMT