World Cup: Former Super Eagles star Troost‑Ekong reacts to Messi’s penalty against Austria

Former Super Eagles captain William Troost‑Ekong commented on the penalty awarded to Argentina against Austria, describing it as a “straightforward” and accurate decision by referee Amin Omar in their FIFA World Cup match.

The incident occurred early in the game when Inter Milan striker Lautaro Martínez went to ground inside the penalty area after a challenge, prompting a VAR review.

Following the VAR assessment, the referee granted the penalty, but Lionel Messi missed the opportunity.

In a commentary on Super Sport, Troost‑Ekong noted that the contact on Martínez was obvious, stressing that the key issue was whether the tackle occurred before or after the ball reached him.

“The moment Argentina started to show their quality, you can see there is a tackle. It is quite evident that there is contact with [Lautaro] Martinez,” Troost‑Ekong articulated.

“The only question was whether it occurred before or after he made contact with the ball. I believe it was a straightforward decision by the referee, although it took a considerable amount of time to reach that conclusion.”

Although he missed the penalty, Lionel Messi produced a key performance, netting two goals to secure a 2‑0 win for Argentina over Austria on Monday night.

The result gave the ex‑Barcelona striker a new FIFA World Cup record of 18 goals, and extended his run of scoring in six straight World Cup matches.