Argentina captain Lionel Messi appeared angry despite his team's 4-3 penalty shootout victory over the Netherlands in the World Cup quarter-finals in Qatar after a 2-2 draw in the regular season and overtime, which led the Tango team to the semi-finals. Messi, who scored the second goal, shot the Spanish referee, Mateo Lahoz, who was directing the match, saying, "We were afraid before the match because we knew who the referee was." "(FIFA) should not assign this task to referees who do not deserve the task," he added. Regarding this match, he said: "We must not let the match go to extra time and penalty kicks." He continued, "The opponent was tough and we suffered a lot, but in the end we got what we wanted and won." However, Messi praised his team's ability to handle pressure and eventually recover after returning to the Netherlands, summarizing: "It's the best thing because every game we played against Holland we showed the ability. The same desire."
