Lionel Messi said he felt “disrespected” by Netherlands coach Louis van Gaal and blasted the referee after Argentina beat the Dutch 4-3 on penalties in a thrilling World Cup quarterfinal at Lusail Iconic Stadium in Qatar on Friday.
Messi assisted Argentina’s first goal for Nahuel Molina and then scored a second from the penalty spot as Argentina took a seemingly commanding 2-0 lead in the 73rd minute.
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But two late goals from Dutch substitute Wout Weghorst, the second off the back of a free kick in the 11th minute of stoppage time, sent the match to extra time and eventually a penalty shootout.
The contest, though, got increasingly heated. At one point Leandro Paredes blasted the ball in the direction of the Netherlands bench before Dutch captain Virgil van Dijk responded by knocking Paredes to the ground.
After his goal, Messi directed a celebration toward the Dutch coaching staff and then confronted Van Gaal after the match.
“I feel disrespected by Van Gaal after his pregame comments and some Dutch players spoke too much during the game,” Messi told reporters.
