Van Gaal: FIFA helped Argentina win the World Cup

Lionel Messi added the World Cup trophy to his CV, putting himself above other great names of the sport (read Cristiano Ronaldo). Many would say he deserved it, but there are also those who do not think the same way. One of the most vocal about it is one of the most knowledgeable of football and one of his opponents at the mentioned World Cup - former Netherlands' coach Louis Van Gaal.

The 72-year-old has claimed that last year's World Cup in Qatar was rigged in order to help Messi finally lift the trophy. Van Gaal, who resigned as head coach following the Netherlands' World Cup exit, believes that the tournament was rigged so that Messi could finally win the trophy that had always eluded him.

The Dutch strategist mentioned specifically that Argentina were 'not punished for overstepping the mark' during their quarter-final win over the Dutch.

The 36-year-old forward defeated the Netherlands, then managed by Van Gaal, in the quarter-final, scoring in normal time before guiding his country to a 4-3 win on penalties.

Messi, who many consider the greatest footballer of all time, led Argentina to World Cup glory in December 2022, scoring twice in the final to help his country beat France 4-2 on penalties at Lusail Stadium.

'I don't really want to say much about it. 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 all premeditated game', Van Gaal told Dutch outlet NOS when asked to reflect on the World Cup in Qatar.

'I mean everything I say. That Messi should become world champion? I think so, yes', the former boss said, after journalists asked the 72-year-old to clarify what he meant.

It was a heated clash - an astonishing 16 yellow cards were dished out across both teams in the quarter-final clash, before Netherlands right-back Denzel Dumfries was sent off deep into extra time.

Argentina escaped the tempestuous clash without a sending-off, despite eight of their players picking up bookings.