The 2026 FIFA World Cup final between Spain and Argentina saw a major controversy in the dying minutes of regulation time just after Enzo Fernández was sent off as the two teams got into a heated altercation. Lionel Messi called for Marc Cucurella to be given a red card for covering his mouth.
For those unversed as per laws updated by FIFA ahead of the tournament following the UEFA Champions League controversy between Vinícius Júnior and Gianluca Prestianni in the Round of 32 match between Real Madrid and Benfica.
“At the discretion of the competition organizer, any player covering their mouth in a confrontational situation with an opponent may be sanctioned with a red card,” said a statement by IFAB.
VAR Does Not Intervene
While Messi was quick to point out that Cucurella covered his mouth while talking to him, the video assistant
The referee (VAR) did not find anything wrong and allowed the new Real Madrid star to stay on the field. Shortly later, the full-time whistle was blown.
For those unversed, Paraguay’s Miguel Almirón and Ecuador’s Piero Hincapié were shown red cards for similar offenses earlier in the tournament.
More to follow…
