Lionel Messi faced criticism from Wayne Rooney, Micah Richards, and Joe Hart for his attempt to provoke a red card for Marc Cucurella during the World Cup final. In a burst of action towards the end of Argentina’s match against Spain at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, Enzo Fernandez was ejected early, adding spark to an otherwise dull 90 minutes.
The Chelsea player, already cautioned for dissent earlier in the game, recklessly collided with Pau Curbasi during stoppage time, sending him airborne with a trailing leg, resulting in Curbasi sprawled on the ground. Referee Slavko Vincic promptly brandished a red card to Fernandez for the foul, leading to immediate protests from the 25-year-old.
Amidst the commotion, Messi tried to retaliate by attempting to have Cucurella dismissed. Video replays revealed the Real Madrid defender making slight contact with his face while talking to the Argentine captain.
Although Cucurella’s mouth was not entirely covered, a new FIFA rule aimed at eradicating racism prohibits players from speaking to opponents with covered mouths during this summer’s tournament. Despite Cucurella possibly not uttering anything malicious while conversing with the 39-year-old Messi, the latter promptly alerted officials that Cucurella had covered his mouth.
However, Messi’s plea went unheard as no action was taken against Cucurella. As both teams prepared for extra time, the BBC panel comprising Rooney, Richards, Hart, and Gabby Logan expressed their disappointment with the conduct of one of the world’s most revered players.
Rooney remarked, “Argentina plays like that. The one thing you want is good sportsmanship, and it was disheartening to witness Lionel Messi resort to such tactics.”
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