- Lionel Messi was involved in a controversial incident with Marc Cucurella.
- The Argentina captain appeared to appeal for Cucurella to be sent off.
- The moment quickly sparked debate among fans during the World Cup final.
The famous sportsman Lionel Messi was involved in a scandal during the FIFA World Cup 2026, which took place between Argentina and Spain. Messi was suspected of asking referee Slavko Vinčić to show Marc Cucurella from Spain a red card.
This incident happened just after twenty minutes when the Argentine football player Enzo Fernández was sent off in the match, which triggered discussions on this event as one of the key incidents of the final match.
It should be mentioned that Messi was heavily criticized by many experts and former spokespersons for his actions.
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What happened between Messi and Marc Cucurella?
The incident occurred late in extra time after Argentina midfielder Enzo Fernández was shown a second yellow card, leaving the defending champions with 10 men.
As tensions rose, Messi was seen approaching referee Slavko Vinčić while pointing towards Marc Cucurella. The Spanish full-back had covered his mouth while speaking during a confrontation, and Messi appeared to suggest that the defender should be punished under FIFA's recently introduced regulations aimed at preventing players from hiding discriminatory or abusive language by covering their mouths.
Still can't get over Messi trying to get Cucurella sent off for this. pic.twitter.com/iGFTg2Opnf
— Lucas Navarrete (@LucasNavarreteM) July 20, 2026
However, the referee refused to take any action against Cucurella. Reports later explained that simply covering one's mouth while speaking is not an offence in itself unless there is evidence of discriminatory or abusive conduct, meaning there was no basis for a red card.
The moment quickly went viral across social media, with many fans accusing Messi of attempting to exploit the new regulation in an effort to even the numbers after Argentina's numerical disadvantage.
Lee Dixon And Wayne Rooney Criticise Messi
Messi's actions were heavily criticised during ITV's live coverage of the final.
Former Arsenal defender Lee Dixon said: "You shouldn't be such a baby to try and get someone sent off for that."
Dixon also described Messi's attempt as "ridiculous," arguing that players should not try to manipulate the referee into issuing a red card.
Former England captain Wayne Rooney agreed with Dixon's assessment. "Argentina play like that, we know that's what they do. The one thing you want is good sportsmanship. That was sad to see, Lionel Messi doing that," he stated.
The former Manchester United striker suggested the incident took away from the spirit of one of football's biggest occasions.
Tempers Boil After Final Whistle
The argument didn’t stop there. After the Spanish team celebrated as Ferran Torres scored the only goal and helped Spain in their 0-1 victory, emotions arose on the field.
Argentina midfielder and player Leandro Paredes appeared in an argument with the young player Gavi from Spain, having pushed him down to the ground. It was allowed to escalate only for a short time till other team members or managers came and intervened.
The whole incident added up to a weird, chaotic atmosphere on the field when other Argentinian team members confronted the Spanish team, making it a long series of arguments and fights in the FIFA World Cup final.