Is FIFA protecting Messi?

[brutalchoper]

could go either way

[Autumnin]

Honestly the refs let way too many hard tackles on him slide for this theory to hold up

[S3yii]

That’s obvious

[pyxraess]

I keep going back to the handball shot in the 2022 final against France, if that was a smaller nation screaming for a penalty the whole narrative flips on its head and Argentina probably don't lift the trophy.

[morthesse]

I watched the Netherlands match live and even my Dutch budyd turned to me after that Paredes incident and said the ref left his cards at the hotel

[vaelaltha]

Feels like if they really wanted to hand him a fairy tale ending they would have just done it in 2014 when the whole world was watching, not wait eight years and rely on some dodgy penalties. The Qatar run had some soft calls sure but that happens to every big team in tournaments, it is not a Messi specific thing.

[onyxaeni]

I remember watching the Netherlands game with some friends and everyone screaming about that penalty, only for my one buddy to pull up the rulebook and actually prove it was a clear handball. That debate will never die but honestly both sides ignore half the context each time.

[Norosyth]

Next time you watch an Argentina match, count how many tactical fous on Messi go unpunished compared to someone like Kvaratskhelia or Vinicius. You might notice the protection runs both ways but isn't equally distributed.

[morthurry4]

Felt the same watching my nephew get every call in youth league

[zyxureon]

I see where you're coming from but I think the protection narrative overlooks how many soft yellows Messi actually avoids purely because defenders are scared to touch him in dangerous areas. To me it's less a referee conspiracy and more just the natural respect and caution a player of that caliber commands on the pitch.