Virgil Van Dijk rubbishes Van Gaal’s claim about 2022 World Cup being rigged in Argentina’s favour

Virgil Van Dijk is the current captain of the Dutch national team

Former Netherlands manager Louis Van Gaal has grabbed attention with a statement claiming that the 2022 FIFA World Cup held in Qatar was rigged in favour of eventual champions Argentina and that the officials deliberately favoured Lionel Messi’s side throughout the World Cup.

Argentina and Netherlands faced off in the tournament's quarter-finals in what turned out to be one of the most high-octane matches of the World Cup. Nahuel Molina gave Argentina the lead in the 35th minute and a Lionel Messi penalty made the score read 2-0 in the 73rd minute.

However, substitute Wout Weghorst scored in the 83rd minute before scoring an equaliser 11 minutes into stoppage time, making it 2-2 in the 90+11th minute. The game would go into extra time and eventually penalties, in which Argentina would narrowly beat the Dutch by a margin of 3-4.

The game holds the record for most number of yellow cards issued in a World Cup match which, including cards shown to the coaching staff, amounts to 18. The match also saw one yellow turn into red as Netherlands’s Denzel Dumfries was sent in the 128th minute.

Now, almost eight months after the conclusion of the World Cup, former Dutch manager Louis Van Gaal has come out with a surprising statement in which he has claimed that the tournament was rigged in favour of Argentina. While speaking to NOS, the former Manchester United boss was quoted as saying. –

"I don't really want to say much about it. If you see how Argentina gets the goals and how we get the goals and how some of Argentina's players crossed the line and weren't punished, then I think it's all preconceived game."

He further added. – "I mean everything I say by that. That Messi had to become world champion? I think so, yes."

Liverpool and Netherlands captain, Virgil Van Dijk, who himself missed a penalty in the game, has come out against his former manager, he has been quoted as saying. –

"Van Gaal's opinion about Messi? He can say whatever he wants it's his opinion, but I do not agree with him and I don't share the same opinion."

He was further asked whether the squad stands by the former manager’s statement. To which he was quick to reply. – “No”.

The quarter-finals ended up being Van Gaal’s last game in charge as he stepped down as soon as the game ended.