World Cup coach drags Messi into controversy after his player receives a heavy penalty: “Why wasn’t his play reviewed by VAR?”
A new controversy has erupted at the 2026 World Cup as South Africa’s head coach Hugo Broos publicly mentioned Lionel Messi to protest the punishment given to his player Themba Zwane.
Just days after their 0-2 defeat to Mexico in their opening match, South Africa received further bad news when FIFA decided to increase midfielder Themba Zwane’s suspension from one match to three.
The Bafana Bafana star was sent off in the 84th minute after a collision with Roberto Alvarado. Initially, the red card meant Zwane would only miss the match against the Czech Republic. However, the FIFA Disciplinary Committee later determined this to be “serious foul play” and added a two-match ban.
This means Zwane will miss the final group stage match against South Korea. Furthermore, if South Africa is eliminated early, his 2026 World Cup campaign will effectively be over.
This decision angered coach Hugo Broos. In a press conference before the match against the Czech Republic, the Belgian strategist stated that the South African Football Confederation would appeal and insisted the punishment was too harsh. “That red card was already too harsh. But a three-match suspension is even more incomprehensible.”
What drew public attention was Broos’s unexpected inclusion of Lionel Messi in the debate. He recalled the controversial incident in Argentina’s 3-0 win against Algeria, where Messi made a studs-up tackle on defender Aissa Mandi but received no card.
“When I saw what happened to Messi the other day, I disagree with this decision. Even VAR didn’t review Messi’s situation.”
South African football star Themba Zwane received a three-match ban after a red card in the opening match of the 2026 World Cup against Mexico (Photo: Getty). South African football star Themba Zwane received a three-match ban after a red card in the opening match of the 2026 World Cup against Mexico (Photo: Getty).
Messi was unharmed after a foul in the opening match of the 2026 World Cup, further angering the South African coach who was upset by the extremely harsh penalty given to his player for a similar incident (Photo: Getty).
According to Broos, Zwane’s collision wasn’t as serious as FIFA deemed it. “The Mexican player blocked my player. He wasn’t aiming for the ball, he was just trying to hold Themba back. Themba was only trying to get past him by putting his arm over his opponent’s shoulder. It wasn’t an elbow strike. A three-match suspension? Sorry, but that’s too harsh a punishment.”
Despite using Messi as an example, the South African coach emphasized that he didn’t want the Argentinian superstar to be sent off.
“I didn’t want Messi to get a red card because he’s a fantastic player and the World Cup needs players like him. But if you look at the two situations side-by-side, I really don’t understand where the difference lies.”
While the debate over the penalty is still ongoing, South Africa is facing immense pressure on its performance. After their defeat against Mexico, the African team currently has no points and must win against the Czech Republic if they want to keep their hopes of advancing alive.
Broos admitted this was almost a decisive match for his team’s fate at the World Cup. “The situation is very clear. If we don’t win, the final match against South Korea will be almost meaningless. If we continue to lose, our chances of progressing will become extremely difficult, even with the third-place spot.”
From being a contender for qualification in Group A, South Africa is now facing the risk of early elimination. And while the team needs to focus on the crucial match against the Czech Republic, the new battle with FIFA over the penalty for Themba Zwane has unexpectedly become the center of attention.
Meanwhile, Lionel Messi, although not directly involved in South Africa’s situation, has unexpectedly been dragged into one of the hottest controversies of the 2026 World Cup.
