Lionel Messi and his defeated Argentina teammates deserve all the criticism they received after the World Cup final, but that doesn’t mean Gianni Infantino and FIFA should be given a reprieve
Lionel Messi comes under fire for his behavior in the World Cup final (Image: Getty Images)
There may be better things to do Lionel Messi’s popularity among the British public has declined since he tried to send off Saint Marc Cucurella in the World Cup final, according to a pollster. It’s unclear whether this news is keeping Messi up at night, but you suspect otherwise.
Messi’s deplorable attempt to corner Cucurella was part of the Argentine’s tapestry of immoral antics, unbecoming of a great player. But it wasn’t the crime of the century.
When did we become so puritanical? Would Cucurella have done that if the circumstances of the match had been reversed? Of course he would.
Messi may be held to a higher moral standard, but it is a staple of the modern game for players to try to embarrass their opponents. It didn’t help Messi’s cause that he was captain of a team that turned its back on Spain’s coronation, which descended into violent chaos at the final whistle.
Criminals deserve whatever punishment they receive, and deserve all the criticism they have already received. But let’s not pretend to be shocked by Argentina’s reaction to losing to Spain.
And don’t let their actions divert criticism and scrutiny from where it’s most important. It needs to be directed most towards Gianni Infantino and FIFA.
Bryson DeChambeau threatens to involve Donald Trump in British Open rules dispute (Image: Richard Heathcote, Getty Images)
Speaking of angry reactions, there was a belter last Friday at Royal Birkdale after Bryson DeChambeau received a two-stroke penalty for a controversial rules violation. It was a slightly controversial decision, but one of DeChambeau’s should have held his chin.
Instead, he appeared to lash out and rage against officials, threatening to call Donald Trump and implicate him. As it happens, the President of the United States did not intervene, but you know where this idea came from.
Thankfully, at least one football association is taking a stance. Norway’s national team, led by federation president Lise Klavenes, will lodge a formal complaint with FIFA’s ethics committee over President Trump’s involvement in the Folarin Balogun incident, in which the American striker was red-carded and suspended.
Messi accused of trying to get Marc Cucurella sent off (Image: AFP or licensor)
Hopefully, more companies will follow suit. And hopefully more people will tell the relevant committees that hydration breaks are an aberration that can never be repeated. Hopefully there will be further uproar over ticket prices, with calls for changes already mounting ahead of the 2030 World Cup.
Never mind that a few Argentines threw a tantrum after the final whistle, and I have to say we seemed more pissed off at them than the Spaniards, the final itself was a grotesquely extravagant and long game. Wayne Rooney said the best part of the half-time show was when it finished.
Indeed, Argentina’s actions need to be punished. And certainly, Messi wasn’t covering himself in glory. But now that the World Cup is over, the real players to watch are Infantino and FIFA.
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