Wayne Rooney has voiced strong criticism of Lionel Messi's behavior during the World Cup final, stating that the Argentine superstar's attempt to have opponent Marc Cucurella sent off was a display of "desperation."
The incident occurred in the later stages of the match, which had already seen Argentina's Enzo Fernandez receive a second yellow card. During a confrontation, Cucurella was seen speaking to Messi, and the Argentine forward gestured to the referee, appearing to accuse Cucurella of covering his mouth. Under tournament rules at the time, players covering their mouths during confrontations could face dismissal, a rule previously applied to other players in the competition.
However, on this occasion, the referee and VAR did not intervene. Despite this, former England captain Rooney, speaking as a pundit, expressed disappointment with Messi's actions.
"It is desperation," Rooney stated. "Argentina play like that, we know that's what they do. But the one thing you want is good sportsmanship and that was sad to see Lionel Messi doing that."
Joe Hart, another pundit, also commented on the incident, suggesting that even Messi resorting to such tactics indicated the pressure Spain was exerting. "Oh wow! Wow! Yeah, I didn't enjoy that at all from Lionel Messi," Hart said. "You realise how on top Spain are if even Lionel Messi is reverting to that."
Micah Richards added to the sentiment, noting, "We don't want to see people getting sent off in a World Cup final for that." The commentary highlights a moment of controversy that overshadowed the intense final, with former players questioning the sportsmanship displayed by one of football's most iconic figures.