Lionel Messi ended an elusive quest for a World Cup trophy by leading Argentina to the ultimate glory at Qatar 2022. While many were rooting for him to succeed, others were not so happy with the result. In fact, former Netherlands manager Louis van Gaal even claimed La Albiceleste were favored to win the tournament.
“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,” van Gaal told Dutch outlet NOS in September. “I mean everything I say by that. That Messi had to become world champion? I think so, yes.”
Wout Weghorst was asked about the strong accusation made by his former coach, but far from siding with van Gaal, the striker stated Argentina deserved to become the world champion.
“No, honestly, I don’t agree with Van Gaal. I heard what he said but I don’t see it that way,” Weghorst said, via ESPN. “We equalized in the tenth minute of stoppage time with a free kick on the edge of the penalty area. If it was the other way around, why would the referee give that free-kick? In the end, Argentina deserved to win the World Cup.”
Wout Weghorst of Netherlands during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 quarter final match between Netherlands and Argentina at Lusail Stadium on December 09, 2022 in Lusail City, Qatar.
Wout Weghorst’s heated match against Argentina
Weghorst was the subject of a heated exchange with Messi in the quarterfinal clash between Netherlands and Argentina, with the Inter Miami star calling him “idiot” as the Dutchman stared at him during a post-game interview.
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That kind of overshadowed the fact that Weghorst put his nation back in the game when it looked like it was over. The striker came off the bench after 78′, and only five minutes later, he pulled one back for the Oranje. In the dying seconds of the match, the Hoffenheim player scored the equalizer to force the extra time.
Weghorst got into Messi and other Argentine players’ nerves, as the world champs accused him of taunting them during the match. But the 31-year-old has no hard feelings, so he hasn’t echoed van Gaal’s sentiments.
Other Dutch players also disagreed with van Gaal
Van Gaal’s comments gave a lot to talk about in the soccer community, and Weghorst wasn’t the only one who had something to say about it. Liverpool star Virgil van Dijk, for instance, also took distance from his former coach.
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“He can say what he wants, it is of course his opinion. Everyone can have an opinion. But I don’t agree with him and I don’t share the same opinion,” van Dijk said, before making it clear the Dutch squad didn’t stand behind van Gaal’s words.
Goalkeeper Mark Flekken echoed the defender’s sentiments by then, “If that’s his opinion, then he is allowed to share it. But personally I don’t agree with his opinion.”
