ESPN Analyst Says Lionel Messi Deserved Red Card for 'Clumsy' Challenge on Algeria's Aissa Mandi
Lionel Messi delivered one of the defining performances of his career on Monday night, and somehow the conversation afterward wasn't only about the goals.
Argentina opened their World Cup title defense with a 3-0 win over Algeria in Group J, and Messi scored all three, pulling level with Miroslav Klose's all-time World Cup record of 16 goals. His first arrived in the 17th minute, a moment so big it left the 38-year-old visibly emotional on the pitch.
But the night took a turn just after that opening goal. Messi went into a challenge on Algeria defender Aissa Mandi with his studs showing, and the referee only awarded a free kick.
No card, no VAR review, no second look at all. That decision became the story almost as much as the hat trick did, with plenty of voices around the game arguing it should have ended differently.
Moreno Breaks Down Why the Challenge Should Have Been a Red Card
ESPN analyst Ale Moreno was one of them, and he didn't hold back even after making his 'love' for Messi clear.
"It's 100% a red card for Lionel Messi," Moreno said. "It should have been. I tell you what else is concerning, it plays along this narrative that great players get preferential treatment."
Moreno felt the foul looked serious from the first viewing, and the replay only confirmed it for him. He described Messi's studs dragging down the back of Mandi's leg from around the knee toward the ankle, the kind of contact officials are supposed to flag for a closer look.
"It's 100% a red card for Lionel Messi. It should've been."
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) June 17, 2026
Ale Moreno and Nedum Onuoha react to Messi's challenge against Algeria's Aïssa Mandi. pic.twitter.com/0h2dMLYk4l
"We don't even have to see the still," he continued. "If you see the live video, it felt like a bad challenge to begin with. Then you see the replay. This is a bad challenge. Somebody has to take a look at this. Why is Szymon Marciniak, the referee, not being called over to see this? It should have been a red card for Lionel Messi. As much as I love Lionel Messi, that was a clumsy challenge, a bad challenge, and you're raking the back of somebody's calf, all the way up from the knee down to his ankle."
Moreno didn't stop at the tackle itself. He tied the moment into a broader pattern he's noticed around superstar players, suggesting officials around the sport sometimes give the biggest names more room than everyone else gets.
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This story was originally published June 17, 2026 at 4:03 AM.