England supporters have voiced strong opinions on social media, claiming that Argentina's decisive goal in the World Cup semi-final should have been disallowed due to a perceived foul by Lionel Messi on defender Djed Spence.
The Three Lions suffered a 2-1 defeat after conceding two late goals, having initially led the match. Enzo Fernandez equalized for Argentina in the 85th minute, and Lautaro Martinez scored the winner in stoppage time.
England fans argue that Messi committed a foul on Spence in the build-up to Martinez's goal. The incident occurred after Alexis Mac Allister hit the post, with Spence and Messi contesting a loose ball in the penalty area. While Spence appeared to reach the ball first, social media posts suggest he was subsequently caught by Messi. Referee Ismael Elfath allowed play to continue, and Argentina capitalized on the advantage.
Many England fans questioned the absence of a Video Assistant Referee (VAR) review, with some expressing frustration that the technology was not used to scrutinize the incident. Comments on social media platforms highlighted the perceived injustice, with one user writing, "Messi's stamp on Spence before Lautaro's goal, why does VAR only work when the goal is against Argentina?"
Other users questioned the referee's decision, with some suggesting Spence should have reacted more dramatically to the contact. "Spence should have gone down and rolled around here, worked for them all game," one post read.
There were also diverging opinions, with some social media users defending Messi and asserting that no contact was made between the players. However, the controversy surrounding the winning goal overshadowed discussions about the match's outcome for many supporters.
England head coach Thomas Tuchel faced criticism from fans for his tactical decisions in the second half, particularly his substitutions when his team was leading. Despite the outcome, Tuchel defended his approach, stating he had "no regrets."
"We were so close but we got too passive after we scored and conceded a lot of chances and could not turn the ball possession around," Tuchel said post-match. "We were close but we could not keep the level up after we scored."
He added that he did not believe an offensive substitution would have been beneficial and that the team's structure did not represent a fundamental problem. "No regrets, the team gave everything and we were very very close," he concluded.