'18 Yellow Cards in One Match'... The Fate of the Referee Who Made Messi Furious
Yellow Cards Flooded in Argentina vs Netherlands Quarterfinal
Messi "FIFA Must Do Something", Referee Leaves Qatar
On the 9th (local time), during the 2022 FIFA World Cup quarterfinal match between Argentina and the Netherlands, referee Antonio Mateu Lahoz (45) showed a yellow card to Lionel Messi (35, Paris Saint-Germain). Photo by AFP Yonhap News
View original image[Asia Economy Culture Young Intern Reporter] Mateu Lahoz, the referee who issued 18 yellow cards in a single match during the 2022 Qatar World Cup, is expected to leave Qatar without participating in any more games.
On the 12th (local time), British media outlets such as Mirror and Daily Star reported, "FIFA has decided the status of Spanish referee Antonio Mateu Lahoz." Lahoz will leave Qatar after officiating the quarterfinal match between Argentina and the Netherlands, without refereeing any remaining World Cup matches.
The media stated, "Lahoz's 'performance' marked the end of his World Cup journey," adding, "It appears that this referee will not oversee any more games and will return to Spain."
Lahoz faced criticism from the sports community for his excessive issuance of yellow cards during the quarterfinal match between Argentina and the Netherlands on the 9th. He gave 10 yellow cards to Argentina and 8 to the Netherlands, setting a record for the most cautions in World Cup history.
His overuse of yellow cards angered players, fans, and even commentators covering the match. BBC commentator Jonathan Pearce admitted, "I gave up" while trying to keep track of the players who were cautioned.
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Argentina's captain Lionel Messi expressed his dissatisfaction in a post-match interview, saying, "I am very angry. I don't want to talk about the referee." He added, "It's difficult to speak honestly because I might be disciplined later." Nevertheless, he stated, "But people will watch the match and know. FIFA has to do something. They cannot appoint such referees."
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