Austria were on the brink of elimination after Riyad Mahrez had given Algeria the lead in the 93rd minute…
Then Saša Kalajdžić scored a 96th-minute equalizer to send Austria through to the Round of 32 🇦🇹
Mahrez scores in the 93rd minute and celebrates.
His teammates were FUMING at him because it meant they would face Spain next. You can see Mahrez realised this and his face changed.
So Algeria lie down and concede in the 96th minute so they get an easier path in the knockouts.
Zlatan Ibrahimović on the VAR decision that denied Iran a last-minute winner against Egypt:
🗣️ “This is exactly why people are losing faith in VAR. We're told it's here to eliminate clear mistakes, yet somehow it keeps creating even bigger controversies on football's biggest stage. That's simply unacceptable.”
“I've watched the replay again and again, and I still don't understand how anyone can call that offside. If you're going to cancel a goal that could decide a nation's World Cup, you better be 100% certain not guessing behind a screen.”
“Millions of Iranians celebrated what they believed was a historic moment, only for a group of officials to erase it within seconds. You didn't just disallow a goal you stole a nation's dream.”
“The referee and VAR officials should be held accountable for decisions like this. You cannot hide behind technology when the technology is being used incorrectly. That's not justice, that's incompetence.”
“A World Cup is played once every four years. Players sacrifice everything to get here, supporters travel across the world, and then one shocking decision destroys months of hard work. That is unforgivable.”
“If this is the standard of officiating at the biggest tournament in football, then something is seriously broken. Football deserves better, the players deserve better, and above all, the fans deserve far better than this.”
IR Iran thought they had scored a 93rd-minute winner to reach the World Cup knockout stage for the first time... until VAR ruled it out for offside 😱
They finish in third place and now must wait to see if they advance. @OptaAnalyst gives them a 86% chance of reaching the knockout stages.
🔎 World Cup Patch Watch
Now we’re in the third round of group games, the ‘Unite for Peace’ patches have changed again, but to a slightly lighter shade of blue.
🚨 Raphinha could reportedly leave Brazil's World Cup camp to deal with personal matters and an alleged financial crisis. 🇧🇷
The situation is said to be causing growing concern, with the winger now facing a major decision in the middle of the tournament. ⏳
(Source: @Metropoles)
🚨Roy keane slams the football fans who are comparing Lionel Messi covering his mouth to Almiron incident against turkey yesterday.
🗣️“Honestly I don’t understand how illiterate some fans can be with their decisions, you’re clearly comparing Lionel Messi speaking to his team mates to Almiron saying offensive words to opponents player while covering his mouth then games gone.
And honestly that rule is the weirdest thing I’ve seen in football, it’s going to tarnish the whole sport credibility with those decisions because a player may not say something offensive but his actions will deal with him for that.
Everyone wants Messi to be punish for anything, forcing in debates and making the whole thing look rigged for him. It’s high time we accept that those things won’t work if that’s what they’re looking at, Messi is on his own a different level ahead of others.”
Miguel Almirón is sent off for covering his mouth whilst directing a comment at Turkey's Mert Muldur 🫢🟥
The new rule was brought in before the World Cup.
𝑺𝒑𝒆𝒄𝒊𝒂𝒍 𝑨𝒅𝒊𝒅𝒂𝒔 𝑾𝒐𝒓𝒍𝒅 𝑪𝒖𝒑 '𝑴𝒂𝒕𝒄𝒉 𝟏𝟎𝟎𝟎' 𝑹𝒆𝒇𝒆𝒓𝒆𝒆 𝑺𝒉𝒊𝒓𝒕
The second Group F match between Japan and Tunisia will mark the 1,000th match in FIFA World Cup history. FIFA has appointed Romanian referee István Kovács to officiate this historic milestone match, which will take place at Monterrey Stadium on June 20.
A special highlight of the occasion will be the referee's commemorative uniform: a bright red jersey featuring three gold stripes on the sleeves, along with a "MATCH 1000 FIFA WORLD CUP" badge.
🚨Toni Kroos on Lionel Messi Tackle on the Algerian Player:
“Looking at that challenge, it’s clear as day that should have been a straight red card for Lionel Messi. I’ve watched the replay multiple times, and the way he goes in with his studs showing, catching the Algerian player high on the leg while the ball is already gone, it’s a dangerous tackle. You can’t tell me that’s not worthy of a sending off in any other circumstance.
I understand that Messi is a special player, one of the greatest of all time, and referees sometimes give him the benefit of the doubt because of the kind of football he plays graceful, intelligent, and rarely malicious. But favoritism has its limits. Algeria was clearly robbed on this one. The referee bottled a big decision that could have changed the course of the game.
If it had been any other player not Messi doing exactly the same thing, it would have been a clear red card without hesitation. We’ve seen it happen countless times with lesser-known names who get punished harshly for similar lunges. This kind of inconsistency in officiating is what frustrates fans and players alike, especially in high-stakes international matches.
I feel for the Algerian team they were cheated out of a fair result today. Football should be about merit and the rules applying equally to everyone, regardless of superstar status. Messi is a legend, but legends don’t get a free pass to put opponents in danger like that.”