Ignore Messi's stamp! Polish referee not punished, still officiating key match; Algeria's appeal fails.

On the evening of June 23, Beijing time, FIFA announced the referee arrangement for the decisive Group G final round match between Egypt and Iran in the World Cup group stage. Polish top referee Szymon Marciniak will be the main official for this game.

It is noteworthy that Marciniak had drawn huge controversy for not sending off Messi after he stepped on Mandi. Despite Algeria's decision to appeal, it was unsuccessful, and FIFA continued to assign Marciniak as the main referee.

In the first round of the World Cup group stage match between Argentina and Algeria, in the 31st minute, Messi stepped on the calf of Algeria's captain Mandi with his studs during a challenge.

Marciniak only awarded a free kick to Algeria at that time, without showing Messi a yellow or red card, and VAR did not intervene to review the incident.

After the match, this decision sparked widespread discussion. Many voices believed that Messi should have been sent off with a direct red card. If Messi had been sent off then, he would not have scored a hat-trick later, and Algeria, having an extra player for most of the second half, might have changed the course of the game.

According to previous reports from multiple media outlets, the Algerian Football Association had filed a complaint with FIFA after the match regarding the referee's decisions.

However, FIFA's Referee Committee has conducted an internal evaluation of Messi's stamp on Mandi and concluded that the handling by Marciniak and VAR referee Kwiatkowski complied with FIFA's disciplinary standards.

FIFA deemed that Messi's action did not constitute "violent conduct" nor "serious foul play." Therefore, the referee's failure to issue a card and VAR's failure to recommend a review were not considered clear errors.

For this reason, FIFA did not suspend Marciniak from his officiating duties due to this controversy and even appointed him as the main referee for the crucial Group G match between Egypt and Iran, which determines qualification.

Unsurprisingly, this Polish top referee is expected to continue being favored by FIFA in the knockout stages, and even has a great chance to officiate the World Cup final for the second consecutive edition.