Louis van Gaal has created a huge controversy in the soccer world with his sensational claim about Lionel Messi’s World Cup victory. Van Gaal, the former coach of the Netherlands team, faces Messi’s Argentina in the World Cup 2022 quarterfinals. However, after almost ten months since the World Cup ended, Van Gaal has questioned the credibility of Argentina’s World Cup win.
Louis van Gaal recently claimed that the 2022 World Cup was rigged for Argentina. The Dutch coach raised doubts over several decisions that favored Messi’s side. He further stated that several Argentine players weren’t penalized fairly during the match. However, Dutch captain Virgil Van Dijk has distanced himself and the squad from their ex-coach’s comments.
Louis van Gaal has claimed that Lionel Messi and Argentina’s World Cup win in Qatar was “premeditated” đđ pic.twitter.com/PZJMnD8cad
â ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) September 5, 2023
According to the Dutch news outlet NOS, Van Dijk doesn’t believe that the World Cup was rigged for Argentina. He said, “Everyone can have an opinion. I don’t share the same opinion.” The Liverpool star also added that the entire Dutch squad does not agree with Van Gaal’s controversial comments. Not only Van Dijk but also Dutch goalkeeper Mark Flekken are at odds with Van Gaal’s statement.
đ¨ Virgil Van Dijk to @NOS: âVan Gaalâs words about Messi? He can say what he wants, itâs his opinion, but I do not agree with him and I donât share the same opinion.â
⢠So you and the squad donât stand behind his words?
Van Dijk: âNo.â pic.twitter.com/nG7IE39rsE
â All About Argentina đđŚđˇ (@AlbicelesteTalk) September 5, 2023
Mark, who was not in the Dutch squad for the World Cup, said that he doesn’t share Van Gaal’s opinion. However, he refused to delve further into the matter since he wasn’t part of the tournament. While Van Gaal’s comments have been making the rounds on the Internet, neither Messi nor Argentina have responded to the incident yet.
Lionel Messi’s controversial reaction to Louis van Gaal and Wout Weghorst after the Netherlands game
Argentina’s tense quarterfinal clash against the Netherlands was one of the most memorable matches of the 2022 World Cup. The two heavyweights had previously battled it out in the semifinals of the 2014 World Cup. Ironically, during both clashes, Van Gaal was in charge of the Dutch team. Having lost the semifinal in 2014, Van Gaal was determined to avenge their defeat.
Heading into the match, Louis Van Gaal stated that if the game went to penalties, his side would be the favorites. As fate would have it, after an intense 120 minutes of end-to-end action, the 2022 quarterfinal between Argentina and the Netherlands ended 2-2. During the match, a total of 48 fouls were committed. In addition to this, the referee received 14 yellow cards and one red card.
Even Lionel Messi, who’s known for his composure, lost his cool during the match. However, after Emi Martinez’s heroics helped subdue the Dutch team, Messi gave Van Gaal a piece of his mind. Not only did Messi celebrate his 73rd-minute goal with an iconic celebration, but he was also seen having a war of words with Van Gaal and Edgar Davids, the Dutch assistant coach.
Messi đ¤Źđ
âQue miras boboâ
âWhat are you looking at you foolâ #WorldCup pic.twitter.com/T9eItrMihX
â Sacha Pisani (@Sachk0) December 9, 2022
Moreover, Lionel Messi also had a heated moment with Dutch forward Wout Weghorst in the mixed zone after the match ended. While speaking to a journalist, Messi snapped at Weghorst, “What are you looking at you fool? Go away.â However, the Argentine skipper later admitted in an interview that he regrets losing his cool at Weghorst.
