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.

[bulbyheta]

ngl messi def gets some soft calls bro but all the fifa protecting him stuff is kinda overblown lol ????

[Qqzz]

yes brother

[Meriaean]

im just stuck on the millions of views part, as if popularity equals truth lol

[clottedateries8]

i feeel like ppl reach way too hard with the whole fifa protecting messi thing honestly. his ability to draw fouls is just how he plays, he's always dribbling right into traffic so of course there's gonna be contact more often

[AWdawn12]

No he protect himself

Without fifa, messi still Hundred miles better than penaldo

[Gopayocir]

Yeah kinda, but egypt was bad for conceded 3 goal within 15 minutes

[aiwdnawn]

Nope. he gon thru a lot of hard times before. when he actually succed, why everyone mocking him? Jealous?

[ladyly]

but if fifa really wanted that narrative wouldnt the 2022 final pen be way too obvious for them to actually try it?

[phantick96]

I watched that Netherlands quarterfinal in 2022 at a bar and even the Dutch fans next to me admitted the refereeing was completely one sied after the match, though I still think it is just normal big tournament chaos rather than a conspiracy.

[loreon]

feel like people forget the 2022 final was pure chaos too, if fifa really rigged it they wouldnt have let mbappe nearly snatch it like that. its just confirmation bias imo

[yellowreal]

24 minutes ago, phantick96 said:

I watched that Netherlands quarterfinal in 2022 at a bar and even the Dutch fans next to me admitted the refereeing was completely one sied after the match, though I still think it is just normal big tournament chaos rather than a conspiracy.

yep yep yep, money can always turn a game. Even one player could hypothetically be bought to throw a game. And fifa obviously likes money..

[Umbraon]

I watched the Netherlands game live and that Paredes incident alone had me questioning things, like how he stayed on the pitch was beyond me. Argentina's odds to win it all dropped so fast after that mtch it felt like the sportsbooks already knew the script.