Louis van Gaal sparks row, Claims FIFA World Cup 2022 was 'Rigged' for Lionel Messi to Win

Lionel Messi was unstoppable last season when he led Argentina to its 3rd FIFA World Cup title since the legendary Diego Maradona won it in 1986. Messi was one of the star performers in the competition and showcased his best possible skills and athleticism to reverse the loss he faced in the 2014 final against Germany. The 7 time Ballon d’Or winner succeeded after beating France on penalties to claim the third star on their National Team jersey.

3 things you need to know 

• Messi won the FIFA World Cup Best Player of the Tournament  
• Messi is the only player to win the FIFA World Cup Best Player twice (2014, 2022)
• Argentina beat France on penalties in the FIFA World Cup 2022

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Louis Van Gaal makes bold claims about Argentina’s victory in the FIFA World Cup 2022

(Argentina vs Netherlands in the FIFA World Cup 2022, Image/AP)

Louis Van Gaal, a former head coach of the Netherlands, has made some controversial remarks about the Qatar 2022 FIFA World Cup. Van Gaal, the Dutch coach during the competition, implied in his words that the games were planned. Lionel Messi led Argentina to their first World Cup triumph since 1986 during the competition, defeating France in a thrilling championship match that ended in a penalty shootout on December 18 at the Lusail Stadium.

Argentina initially lost to Saudi Arabia 2-1 in their opening group game, one of many dramatic moments on Messi's path to this triumph. They recovered, though, and beat Mexico and Poland to advance to the knockout rounds. They went on to continue their journey in the knockout stages of the competition, beating Australia in the round of 16.

Argentina prevailed over Van Gaal's Netherlands in the quarterfinals, 2018 finalists Croatia in the semifinals, and France in the final. Van Gaal has drawn criticism for claiming that the World Cup matches were somehow prepared to favour Messi and produce a staged football fairytale, despite this great triumph. In the world of football, these accusations have caused controversy and debate.

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What did Louis Van Gaal say?

According to the Dutch news publication NOS, the former FC Barcelona coach 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,

I mean everything I say. That Messi should become the world champion? I think so, yes.

Looking at the match recap, the Lionel Messi-led side took a 2-0 lead with goals from  Nahuel Molina and Lionel Messi. However, Dutch prodigy Wout Weghrost scored 2 goals in the last 10 minutes of the match to make it 2-2. However, after a heated clash, Argentina won 4-3 on penalties.