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FIFA have launched an investigation into offensive behavior by Lionel Messi's Argentina during the World Cup. The under-investigation incident took place during La Albiceleste's win over France in the final of the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
The clash at the Lusail Iconic Stadium was an extremely competitive affair that ended 3-3 after extra time. However, Messi and Co. emerged victorious via a penalty shootout as goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez stood tall for his country.
Martinez was named the winner of the Golden Glove award for his performances throughout the tournament. The Aston Villa shot-stopper, however, was criticized for his provocative celebrations after winning the award.
During the penalty shootout, Martinez also threw the ball away before France's Aurelien Tchouameni took his spot-kick.
FIFA have now issued a statement addressing Argentina's behavior during the final. It reads (via GOAL):
"The FIFA Disciplinary Committee has opened proceedings against the Argentinian Football Association due to potential breaches of articles 11 (Offensive behaviour and violations of the principles of fair play) and 12 (Misconduct of players and officials) of the FIFA Disciplinary Code, as well as of article 44 of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Regulations in conjunction with the Media and Marketing Regulations for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, during the Argentina v. France FIFA World Cup final."
Lionel Messi had a spectacular tournament in Qatar as he scored seven goals, including a brace in the final. Messi also provided three assists and was named the winner of the Golden Ball award.
Argentina's 2022 FIFA World Cup triumph was much more than a Lionel Messi show
While there is no denying that Lionel Messi was the star of the show for Argentina in the 2022 FIFA World Cup, La Albiceleste performed spectacularly as a unit as well.
Apart from Messi, Emiliano Martinez, Julian Alvarez, Alexis Mac Allister, and Enzo Fernandez were all brilliant during the tournament. Angel Di Maria was in absolutely breathtaking form as long as he was on the pitch in the final.
It was certainly a collective effort from Lionel Scaloni's team. To top that off, Messi kept producing magical moments during the tournament, which turned out to be the decisive factor in close games.
La Albiceleste came into the tournament in a rich vein of form as the reigning South American champions. However, their tournament started in the worst possible manner with a defeat against Saudi Arabia. Scaloni's side showed their resilience and launched a solid comeback. La Albiceleste were effective and grinded out the results for the rest of the competition, eventually winning their third World Cup trophy.
