Algeria’s football federation (FAF) has formally lodged a complaint with FIFA over what it calls “critical refereeing errors” during its World Cup Group J opener against Argentina, which ended in a 3-0 defeat on Tuesday. The federation is demanding that world football’s governing body review two particular incidents that went unpunished by Polish referee Szymon Marciniak.
The first flashpoint came in the 32nd minute. Argentina captain Lionel Messi, chasing a loose ball, stamped on Algeria defender Aïssa Mandi’s lower leg with his studs raised. Replays showed clear contact from behind, leading Algerian officials to argue that a red card should have been shown. Marciniak, however, waved play on without even issuing a yellow card, and the VAR team – led by fellow Pole Tomasz Kwiatkowski – declined to intervene. Messi went on to score a hat-trick, becoming the first player in World Cup history to achieve that feat in the tournament.
The second incident occurred in the 74th minute. Midfielder Alexis Mac Allister, contesting a ball inside the Algerian penalty area, swung his elbow and caught Ibrahima Maza square in the face. Maza collapsed to the ground, but Marciniak awarded neither a penalty nor a foul, and again VAR stayed silent.
In its complaint, the FAF argues that the officiating “systematically favored” the Argentine side and that both incidents meet the threshold for serious disciplinary action. The federation also questions why the VAR protocol was not activated for either review, calling the omissions “inexplicable at this level of competition.”
Speaking after the match, a visibly frustrated Mandi did not hide his anger: “If my ankle had broken, the guy who did it still wouldn’t have got a card. The standard has to improve – the whole world is watching.” Head coach Vladimir Petković was more measured but pointed: “I don’t want to talk about what-ifs, but everyone saw what happened.”
FIFA has yet to issue a formal response to the complaint.
Argentina, buoyed by Messi’s treble, next face Austria in Dallas on Monday. Algeria, now needing a result to keep their knockout hopes alive, take on Jordan in San Francisco on Tuesday.
