Former head coach of the Netherlands, Louis van Gaal, has alleged that the 2022 World Cup, which took place in Qatar, was rigged in order to help Lionel Messi finally lift the trophy.
Recall that Messi scored twice in the final to help his country beat France 4-2 on penalties at Lusail Stadium.
The 36-year-old had shone as they beat Netherlands, who were then managed by Van Gaal, in the quarter-final.
Messi scored in normal time before guiding his country to a 4-3 win on penalties.
However, Van Gaal, who left the role shortly after, believes that the tournament was rigged so that Messi could finally win the trophy that had always eluded him.
“When you see how Argentina gets the goals and how we get the goals, and how some Argentina players overstepped the mark and were not punished, then I think it was all a premeditated game,” he told Dutch outlet, NOS.
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