Lionel Messi faced criticism from Wayne Rooney, Micah Richards, and Joe Hart for his attempt to influence the referee to send off Marc Cucurella in a subtle manner during the World Cup final. The incident occurred late in Argentina’s match against Spain at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey after a rather uneventful game, when Enzo Fernandez received a red card.
The Chelsea player, who was already cautioned for dissent earlier, collided with Pau Curbasi in stoppage time, resulting in Curbasi being sent sprawling to the ground. Referee Slavko Vincic promptly showed Fernandez a red card for the foul, sparking immediate protests from the player.
Amid the chaos, Messi tried to exploit the situation by signaling to the officials that Cucurella had covered his mouth while speaking with him. Despite the new FIFA rule prohibiting players from talking with covered mouths to prevent racism, no action was taken against Cucurella.
As the match went into extra time, the BBC panel comprising Rooney, Richards, Hart, and Gabby Logan expressed their disappointment with Messi’s actions. Rooney remarked that such behavior was not in the spirit of good sportsmanship, reflecting negatively on the Argentine team.
The panel members were taken aback by Messi’s tactics, with Richards commenting that it was unwarranted to potentially get a player sent off in a World Cup final for such a minor incident. Hart also disapproved of Messi’s actions, highlighting the desperation shown by one of the game’s most esteemed players.
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