Former Manchester United manager Louis Van Gaal has made a shocking claim that the 2022 FIFA World Cup was rigged for Lionel Messi to win.
Van Gaal, who managed the Netherlands at the tournament hosted by Qatar made this statement in an interview with Dutch media outlet NOS.
Louis Van Gaal stated that the World Cup was a premeditated game, due to how Argentina got their goals, and their attitude throughout the mundial.
He said: “I don’t really want to say much about it.
“When you see how Argentina gets the goals and how we get the goals, and how some Argentina players overstepped the mark and were not punished, then I think it was all a premeditated game.”
Messi had a glorious 2022 World Cup outing
Lionel Messi, who many consider to be the greatest player of all time led his nation to glory at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
Many subsequently expressed the statement “Messi has completed football” after he won the prestigious trophy. However, Louis Van Gaal has said that the tournament was rigged in Messi’s favour.
Argentina had 5 penalties at the 2022 FIFA World Cup, with the majority of those calls being highly controversial.
The penalty handed to La Albiceleste in the final of the competition also sparked wide reactions, and it further strengthened the notion of many that the tournament was premeditated.
Louis Van Gaal, who handled the Netherlands at the World Cup, also faced off against Argentina in the quarter-final.
Both sides played out a 2-2 draw after 130 minutes of action, with Lionel Scaloni’s side winning 3-4 on penalties.
Argentina were also given a penalty in that game after Denzel Dumfries was adjudged to have brought down Marcos Acuna in the box.
Lionel Messi afterward stepped up to dispatch the resultant spot kick in the 73rd minute of proceedings.
The 3-time FIFA World Cup champions had penalties in their first and last group stage game, alongside the semi-final and final of the tournament.
Luis Van Gaal Insisted on his statement that FIFA rigged the World Cup for Lionel Messi
Meanwhile, Louis Van Gaal also maintained his stance on his earlier assertions when he was asked to shed light on his claims.
Van Gaal said: “I mean everything I say. That Messi should become world champion? I think so, yes.”
With regards to their etiquette, Lionel Messi was also seen celebrating his quarter-final goal in front of Louis Van Gaal.
The celebration was one which many had previously deemed as disrespectful, but the Argentine great still did it.
Some have claimed that it was the spur of the moment, as Messi was seen cupping his hands to his ears.
Anyway, O’ranje captain Virgil Van Dijk has towed a different route from his former national team manager.
He said: “Van Gaal’s words about Messi? He can say what he wants, it’s his opinion, but I do not agree with him and I don’t share the same opinion.”
Van Dijk was further asked if he and the Netherlands squad backed the claims of Van Gaal and he bluntly responded: “No.”
Additionally, a statement made by FIFA president Gianni Infantino in October 2017 has also been pinpointed by many as a good basis to show that the 2022 FIFA World Cup was rigged.
Infantino said: “It would be an injustice if Messi retired without winning the World Cup.”
Many have different opinions on this matter, and there have been strong cases to support these claims, but what do you think?
