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Messi Hat-Trick Leads Argentina 3-0 Win Amid Referee Probe

6/21/2026

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Summary

Story summary

Argentina beat Algeria 3–0 as Lionel Messi scored a hat-trick.
Algeria’s football federation lodged a complaint to FIFA, saying referee Szymon Marciniak failed to sanction Messi’s calf-strike on Aïssa Mandi.
Officials deemed the challenge non-violent, gave no card, and let Messi tie Miroslav Klose as the tournament’s top scorer, keeping him eligible for the record in Argentina’s next match on June 22.

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Story summary

Argentina beat Algeria 3–0 as Lionel Messi scored a hat-trick.
Algeria’s football federation lodged a complaint to FIFA, saying referee Szymon Marciniak failed to sanction Messi’s calf-strike on Aïssa Mandi.
Officials deemed the challenge non-violent, gave no card, and let Messi tie Miroslav Klose as the tournament’s top scorer, keeping him eligible for the record in Argentina’s next match on June 22.