Diego Maradona’s reaction to the Blaise Matuidi tackle on Ogenyi Onazi highlights how controversial refereeing decisions can ignite strong emotions, especially in high-stakes World Cup matches. Maradona calling it “criminal” reflects the seriousness of the injury and the belief that the punishment—a yellow card—was too lenient for such a dangerous challenge.
The comparison with Luis Suárez’s infamous bite incident is telling. While Suárez’s action was deliberate and bizarre, Matuidi’s was reckless and resulted in a serious injury, which many believe should have warranted a straight red card under FIFA’s rules regarding endangering an opponent’s safety.
Even though Matuidi apologized, which shows sportsmanship, that doesn’t change the fact that Onazi’s World Cup was ended prematurely. The outcry from figures like Maradona puts pressure on referees and governing bodies to consistently apply the laws of the game, especially when player safety is at stake.
