2022 World Cup: FIFA Sends Spanish Referee, Lahoz Home From Qatar

• After backlashes from Messi, Argentina over Netherlands match

World Football governing body, FIFA has sealed the future of Spanish Referee Antonio Mateu Lahoz with the verdict that he will no longer oversee any more World Cup matches at the ongoing tournament in Qatar.

FIFA came to the decision on Lahoz following his head-scratching performance as Argentina beat the Netherlands on penalties and he felt the wrath of Argentina’s captain, Lionel Messi after the quarter-final encounter.

Despite Argentina running out victorious on penalties, there were huge complaints sent the way of the 45-year-old Spanish official as he dished out an eye-watering 17 yellow cards in what was a bad-tempered clash with Dutch defender Denzel Dumfries also getting the marching orders despite the game having already finished.

Interestingly, Netherlands’ two-goal hero, Wout Weghorst also got on the wrong side of Lahoz, who issued him with a booking even before he took to the pitch. The 45-year-old will not oversee any more matches at the tournament and is expected to return home to Spain.

Not impressed by the Spaniard’s performance on the pitch, PSG Star and Argentina’s Skipper, Messi, scorer of his country’s second goal in the match, aired his complaints when he told TyC Sports “This match shouldn’t have ended as it did.

“I don’t want to talk about the referee because they sanction you. But people saw what happened. We were afraid before the match because we knew how he was and I think FIFA has to review this. You can’t put a referee like him for these matches.”

An apparently furious Messi said after the match; “He gave 10 minutes extra time for no reason. He just wanted them to score. That referee is crazy. Arrogant. You say something to him and he talks back to you. It’s crazy.

“Because Spain were eliminated, he wanted to eliminate us. He is the worst referee at the World Cup. Hopefully, we won’t have him again – he’s useless.”

But Aston Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez did not hold back as he ruthlessly criticised Lahoz for his poor performance, saying; “The ref gave everything to them [Netherlands]. It all turned upside down.

Lahoz is not the only official to have been questioned for his performances at the World Cup over the last month. Brazilian referee Wilton Sampaio was the target of severe criticism for his showing during England’s quarter-final defeat to France.

Numerous members of the Three Lions’ squad slammed him during their post-match interviews, whilst former Manchester United defender Gary Neville branded him as an “absolute joke”.

Speaking to ITV, he said: “The referee had a nightmare game, an absolute joke of a referee. I’m not saying that was all down to England’s defeat because that’s making excuses. He was just a bad referee, rank bad.”