Algerian national team defender Aissa Mandi revealed that Lionel Messi reached out to offer an apology for a dangerous challenge during Argentina’s 3-0 group stage win at the 2026 World Cup. Shortly after finding the net in the 17th minute, Messi caught Mandi on the calf with a studs-up tackle. Despite the aggression of the play, referee Szymon Marciniak only whistled for a foul, and the VAR team did not review the incident, leading to an official protest from the Algerian Football Federation.
Messi continued to play, eventually securing a hat-trick to become the oldest player to achieve that feat in tournament history. Mandi noted that the Argentine superstar approached him immediately to express regret and ensure he was unharmed. The defender admitted he did not fully grasp the severity of the impact while on the pitch. It was only after viewing the replay in the locker room, while dealing with significant pain, that Mandi realized the tackle should have resulted in a red card.
With this performance, Messi reached 16 total World Cup goals, tying the record previously held by Miroslav Klose.
