Messi apologised after World Cup tackle on my foot – Algeria’s Mandi

Algeria defender Aissa Mandi has revealed that Lionel Messi apologised to him in the dressing rooms after a controversial challenge during Argentina’s 3-0 win at the 2026 World Cup.

Messi scored a hat-trick as Argentina defeated Algeria in their opening match of the tournament, but the game was overshadowed by a second-half incident in which the forward stepped on Mandi’s foot from behind – a challenge many felt warranted a red card.

Speaking to the website “ultraalgeria”, Mandi recalled the moment on the pitch and the aftermath once the match had finished.

“Messi’s tackle? I felt a strong blow, but I didn’t realise at the time how bad it was,” the Algeria international said.

Back in the dressing room, Mandi watched the replays and was told that the incident could have resulted in a sending-off.

“After returning to the dressing room I saw the replay and they told me the tackle deserved a red card,” he explained.

He added that Messi approached him directly to apologise.

“Messi apologised to me straight away and asked if I was OK, and from the look on his face I could tell he knew he had made a mistake,” Mandi said.

No VAR review as incident sparks debate

Messi’s challenge on Mandi’s foot from behind caused significant debate after the match, with questions raised over why the Argentina captain was not dismissed and why the incident was not reviewed by the video assistant referee.

The tackle did not lead to any on-field sanction beyond the initial foul, and there was no VAR intervention to reassess the decision, further fuelling criticism from some observers.

Despite the controversy, Messi’s performance proved decisive on the scoresheet. The Argentina forward struck three times, netting in the 17th, 60th and 76th minutes to complete his hat-trick and secure a comfortable victory.

World Cup campaigns end in disappointment

Algeria’s tournament ended in the round of 32, where they were eliminated by Switzerland to bring their World Cup 2026 campaign to a close.

Argentina, meanwhile, progressed all the way to the final but missed out on the title, losing 1-0 to Spain and falling short in their attempt to lift the World Cup.

After Algeria’s exit, Mandi announced his retirement from international football, calling time on his career with the national team following the conclusion of Les Fennecs’ participation at the 2026 finals.