Lionel Messi made FIFA World Cup history on Tuesday night, but his record-breaking goal against Austria quickly became the centre of a fresh controversy. Moments after the Argentina captain surpassed Miroslav Klose as the tournament’s all-time leading scorer, social media was flooded with claims that the goal should never have stood.
The debate centred around the build-up to Messi’s opener during Argentina’s 2-0 victory over Austria in Dallas. While the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner was busy celebrating his 17th World Cup goal, fans, pundits and former players were busy replaying an incident involving Alexis Mac Allister and Austrian midfielder Xaver Schlager.
ARGENTINA vs AUSTRIA, FIFA WORLD CUP 2026: HIGHLIGHTS
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Argentina entered the match with momentum firmly on their side after a commanding 3-0 win over Algeria in their Group J opener, a game in which Messi scored the first World Cup hat-trick of his career. Austria had also started strongly, beating Jordan 3-1 and knowing that another victory would put them on the verge of qualification.
With both sides winning their opening fixtures, Dallas hosted one of the most anticipated group-stage matches of the tournament.
The spotlight, unsurprisingly, belonged to Messi. The Argentina captain arrived level with Miroslav Klose on 16 World Cup goals and needed just one strike to become the competition’s outright leading scorer. He even had an early opportunity to break the record from the penalty spot but dragged his effort wide, allowing Austria to settle into the contest and make life difficult for the reigning champions.
When Messi eventually found the breakthrough before half-time, the celebrations were immediate. So was the controversy.
WHY ARE FANS TALKING ABOUT VAR?
The incident that sparked the debate came seconds before Messi’s historic goal.
As Argentina built their attack, Alexis Mac Allister appeared to lunge in from behind and bring down Xaver Schlager without making contact with the ball. The Austrian midfielder fell to the turf, but the referee allowed play to continue.
Argentina quickly worked the ball forward and the move eventually ended with Messi applying the finish to score his 17th World Cup goal and move clear of Klose in the all-time scoring charts.
The referee did not award a foul and VAR chose not to intervene or recommend an on-field review.
That decision quickly became one of the biggest talking points online.
Former Manchester United and Denmark goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel was among the most vocal critics of the decision. Speaking during the broadcast, Schmeichel questioned how the challenge on Schlager escaped punishment and argued that the attack should have been stopped long before the ball reached Messi.
His criticism quickly gained traction online, with many fans citing the former goalkeeper’s comments while debating whether Argentina had benefited from another favourable call.
Others defended the officials, insisting the challenge did not meet the threshold required for VAR intervention.
Whatever the interpretation, the incident immediately reignited a familiar debate involving Argentina, Messi and controversial officiating decisions.
WHY HAS THE DECISION DIVIDED FANS?
The controversy arrives less than a week after another refereeing debate involving Argentina and Messi during their opening win against Algeria.
In that match, Messi escaped without a booking after catching Algerian captain Assa Mandi on the calf with a raised challenge while attempting to press high up the pitch. The referee awarded a free-kick but chose not to show either a yellow or red card, while VAR also declined to intervene.
The incident generated widespread criticism, with some analysts arguing there was insufficient force for a red card, while others felt Messi was fortunate to avoid punishment altogether. The Algerian Football Federation later lodged a formal complaint with FIFA regarding several decisions from the match, including that challenge.
Tuesday’s clash against Austria brought fresh controversy.
Apart from the foul in the build-up to Messi’s record-breaking goal, another incident involving Lautaro Martinez also drew significant attention. During a loose-ball scramble, the Argentina striker appeared to make contact with Austrian midfielder Konrad Laimer, prompting immediate appeals from Austrian players and supporters for a red card.
The referee opted against taking any disciplinary action, while VAR again stayed silent. Replays of the challenge quickly spread across social media, with many fans arguing that Austria had once again found themselves on the wrong side of key decisions involving the defending world champions.
Whether the incidents warranted stronger punishment remains a matter of opinion, but together they added fuel to an already active debate online. For critics, the sequence of decisions reinforced long-standing claims that Argentina and Messi often receive favourable treatment from officials. For others, they were simply examples of subjective calls that naturally divide opinion in modern football.
Lost amid the controversy was another historic night for Messi.
The Argentina captain curled home his record-breaking goal before adding another deep into stoppage time after reacting quickest to a loose ball inside the area. The brace took his World Cup tally to 18 goals and five in the tournament already.
The 2-0 victory secured Argentina’s place in the knockout rounds with a game to spare and also saw Messi become only the third player in World Cup history, after Just Fontaine and Jairzinho, to score in six consecutive World Cup matches.
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