Peter Schmeichel has claimed that Lionel Messi's historic World Cup goal, which saw him become the tournament's all-time leading scorer, should have been disallowed due to a foul in the buildup. The Argentina captain scored twice in a 2-0 win over Austria, with his first goal moving him past Miroslav Klose's record of 16 goals.
Schmeichel's Controversial Claim
Speaking on Fox Sports, the former Manchester United and Denmark goalkeeper argued that Alexis Mac Allister had fouled Austria's Xaver Schlager before Messi's opener. "I don't think that goal should have stood," Schmeichel said. "Think about how they get the penalty, this is a kick from behind through Xaver Schlager. This is a free kick, Mac Allister has kicked the player down. That should have been a free-kick. VAR should have taken that back. That is a clear and obvious mistake by the referee." He added: "And for that I feel a little bit frustrated."
Messi's Record-Breaking Performance
Despite the controversy, Messi's goal stood, and he later added a second in stoppage time to seal the victory. The 38-year-old reflected on his achievement, saying: "I'm tired and I'm running on fumes. It's hard to think. But I'm enjoying this moment and looking forward to being with my teammates. It's been spectacular how it has all unfolded. I had the penalty, which could have increased my tally or not. But perhaps the others wouldn't have come, you never know. I'm happy with the team."
Teammate Praise and Missed Penalty
Earlier in the match, Messi had a penalty saved, but he recovered to score twice. Teammate Julian Alvarez was full of praise: "He continues to demonstrate, even at his age, that he has the talent and all his magic. There's not much to say. We all see it, he's the best in the world. It gives us peace of mind for what's to come. This is the World Cup, everything is very close and very intense. That's why we're happy to have earned six points and already secured qualification."
Argentina's World Cup Progress
Argentina have already secured their place in the knockout stages with six points from two matches. They will face Jordan in their final group game, and could be confirmed as group winners if Jordan fail to beat Algeria.
