Mumbai: Actor Gauahar Khan has sparked a debate on social media after taking a swipe at Lionel Messi following Argentina’s dramatic FIFA World Cup Round of 16 clash against Egypt.
Gauahar shared an Instagram reel highlighting a moment in which Messi covered his mouth after an alleged blow during the match.
The reel described it as “the saddest moment in football history,” implying that the Argentine captain had exaggerated the incident.
Echoing the sentiment, Gauahar reposte
d the video on her Instagram Stories and wrote, “What a loser, messy not Messi. Actor of the saddest order.”
Her remarks quickly went viral, drawing mixed reactions from football fans online.
Argentina’s thrilling 3-2 comeback victory over Egypt on Tuesday has been one of the tournament’s biggest talking points.
Egypt looked set to pull off a stunning upset after racing to a 2-0 lead deep into the second half, but the defending champions staged a remarkable fightback, scoring three late goals to book their place in the quarter-finals.
The match has also been overshadowed by refereeing controversy.
After the defeat, Egypt forward Mostafa Ziko alleged that the tournament was “directed” in favour of Argentina.
Criticising the officiating, he claimed Egypt had been denied despite pushing the defending champions to the limit.
“The referee is unfair. This is clear and obvious injustice. He wasted the efforts of an entire country,” Ziko said.