A refereeing controversy involving Lionel Messi has sparked a storm in the Arab world after Algerian journalist Mustafa Al-Muizzawi made antisemitic remarks on live television, claiming the Argentine star was protected by “the Jewish lobby.”
The comments came after Argentina’s 3-0 victory over Algeria, a match in which Messi scored a hat trick but was not shown a card for a controversial tackle on Algerian defender Aïssa Mandi. Messi appeared to challenge for the ball but struck the Algerian player’s leg, prompting criticism from some viewers and commentators who argued the incident should have been reviewed as a possible red card offense.
The referee awarded only a foul and did not issue even a yellow card. VAR did not intervene.
But the debate quickly moved beyond soccer after Al-Muizzawi linked the decision to Jews and global influence.
“Messi is protected. They acknowledged that. Messi is protected by the Jewish lobby. This lobby controls the world, they run it however they want as if they were the mafia. Infantino doesn't want us to do well. We are a country with dignity, we are a country named Algeria. We have political stances regarding Western Sahara and the Palestinian issue, and therefore they don't want us to do well. If we had the ability to win the World Cup, they would prevent it from us,” he said during the broadcast.
Al-Muizzawi accused FIFA President Gianni Infantino of working against Algeria’s success and claimed the country’s political positions on international issues, including the Palestinian issue and Western Sahara, affect how it is treated in global soccer.
The remarks triggered backlash because they echoed classic antisemitic conspiracy theories that portray Jews as secretly controlling global institutions, politics and sports.
The controversy began with criticism of the decision not to send off Messi, but Al-Muizzawi’s comments turned the dispute into a broader row over antisemitic rhetoric in sports commentary.