Argentina captain Lionel Messi has questioned the appointment of Antonio Mateu Lahoz as referee for his team's World Cup game against the Netherlands.
Messi set up Nahuel Molina's opener and scored himself from the penalty spot as Argentina entered the final 10 minutes of regular time with a two-goal lead. A double from Wout Weghorst forced extra time, with his equaliser coming in the 11th minute of stoppage time, but Argentina still prevailed after two Emi Martinez saves in a penalty shoot-out.
That was only part of the story, though, with card-happy official Mateu Lahoz issuing some 15 yellow cards. There was also a red shown to Dutch defender Denzel Dumfries as tempers flared after the final whistle, and Messi has spoken out about the Spanish official.
"This match shouldn't have ended as it did," Messi told TyC Sports. "I don't want to talk about the referee because they sanction you. But people saw what happened.
"We were afraid before the match because we knew how he was and I think FIFA has to review this. You can't put a referee like him for these matches."
As well as the 15 players shown cards, with Dumfries handed two yellows at the end of the shoot-out, Argentina boss Lionel Scaloni was carded. And it wasn't the first time the Spanish referee has courted controversy.
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Presenter Gary Lineker claimed Mateu Lahoz "makes Mike Dean look shy" after watching the quarter-final. The referee has officiated in La Liga for a number of years, including during Messi's time at Argentina, and has been the centre of attention in the past.
He handed out 10 bookings in a Europa League clash between Atalanta and RB Leipzig in April 2022. Additionally, in a LaLiga game earlier the same month, he showed 10 yellows plus a red to Mallorca's Franco Russo as the team from the Balearics lost 1-0 at Getafe.
Former referee Graham Poll questioned the Spaniard's officiating back in 2018, during a Champions League meeting between Manchester City and Liverpool. More recently, the 45-year-old was in charge of another Liverpool game - against Inter Milan - and courted attention with his decision to send off Inter star Alexis Sanchez.
“I want to talk about the second yellow of Sanchez,” pundit and former Arsenal and France star Thierry Henry told CBS Sports Golazo. “If you have played football, you know that’s never a yellow.
“The first one, with the new rules that we have seen, is late. Way late. Foot on the knee. I could have maybe understood if it could have been an orange-red.
“But that second yellow, if you have played football. What is he supposed to do?" the Frenchman continued. "Obviously, your foot is going to go up because you are kicking the ball away.
"We have seen the play here. Full speed. You don’t have time to take your leg away by kicking the ball, it’s impossible.”
