Lionel Messi comments about the chaotic Argentina-Morocco Olympics game
July 25, 2024
Argentina‘s Olympics men’s soccer loss to Morocco was dubbed “unusual” by Lionel Messi after the Albiceleste were denied a late equalizer by a video assistant referee (VAR) check that took place nearly two hours after the game appeared to end in Saint-Etienne.
At the conclusion of what was ultimately called a 2-1 loss, Javier Mascherano’s team had a goal for 2-2 ruled out after 16 minutes of additional time. The Inter Miami player who helped the South Americans become world and continental champions responded with a single phrase.
After Soufiane Rahimi’s double put the Moroccans up, Cristian Medina believed he had completed the comeback, but Giuliano Simeone pulled one back before Medina’s apparent late heroics for the two-time gold medalists.
A barrage of projectiles and even field invaders forcing the players to leave the field toward the conclusion of extra 15 minutes of time could prove to be one of the most dramatic scenes of the entire Paris Games, and we haven’t even seen the opening ceremony yet.
But it took over two hours for the Medina goal to be disregarded, and when the last few minutes were played—in training session conditions rather than in a game setting when a separate warm-up was necessary—the Atlas Lions secured a crucial victory.
The game looked to have concluded even after the VAR review of Medina’s goal, but later on it was revealed that the game had really “interrupted” and that those who were still there were asked to “leave the stadium” as the “session has been suspended.”
Before the final three minutes were completed and the Moroccans were declared the winners, the players returned to the field to warm up. For the time being, it is unknown why the last few minutes of the match were handled so carelessly.
Messi’s disbelief comes days after it was publicly requested that Enzo Fernandez apologize. Argentina has been in the news a lot lately due to a racism incident that was created by his social media post. This has caused tension with the Olympics hosts.
Not only did Messi respond, but head coach Mascherano dubbed it “the biggest circus I have ever seen in my life.” Nicolas Tagliafico shared this sentiment, using the word “circus,” and Rodrigo De Paul called it “amazing.”