Louis van Gaal, the former coach of the Netherlands, has alleged that the World Cup held in Qatar last year was manipulated to assist Lionel Messi in finally winning the trophy.
Messi led Argentina to World Cup victory in December 2022, scoring twice in the final to help his country defeat France 4-2 on penalties at Lusail Stadium.
The 36-year-old forward overcame the Netherlands in the quarter-final, scoring during regular time before steering his country to a 4-3 win on penalties.
Following the Netherlands’ World Cup exit, Van Gaal, who had resigned as head coach, claimed that the tournament was rigged to ensure Messi’s victory.
During an interview with Dutch outlet NOS, when asked to share his thoughts on the World Cup in Qatar, he responded, ‘I don’t 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 was a premeditated game.’
Van Gaal made these remarks at the Eredivisie Awards, where he was honored for his contribution to Dutch football.
When journalists asked the 72-year-old to elaborate on his comments, he asserted, ‘I mean everything I say. That Messi should become world champion? I think so, yes.’
