Van Gaal claims Qatar World Cup was rigged to help Messi and Argentina win
"I don't really want to say much about it. When you see how Argentina gets the goals and how we get the goals, and how some Argentina players overstepped the mark and were not punished, then I think it all premeditated game," the former Dutch boss told NOS on Tuesday.
Former Dutch coach Louis van Gaal thinks Lionel Messi and Argentina won the World Cup because of a fix.
Van Gaal, who is now 72 years old, was the head coach of the Netherlands team that was eliminated in the quarterfinals by the eventual champions. Argentina prevailed on penalties after a thrilling 2-2 draw at Doha's Lusail Stadium in Doha, Qatar.
Sixteen yellow cards were issued during the game, with Dutch right-back Denzel Dumfries sent off in the closing moments of extra-time, after which spot-kick misses from Virgil van Dijk and Steven Berghuis helped Argentina win in a penalty shootout.
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They would also prevail on penalties in the World Cup final against France, a thrilling affair in which Messi scored twice and Kylian Mbappe grabbed a hat-trick, and Van Gaal has alleged that they were given a helping hand in doing so.
"I don't really want to say much about it. When you see how Argentina gets the goals and how we get the goals, and how some Argentina players overstepped the mark and were not punished, then I think it all premeditated game," the former Dutch boss told NOS on Tuesday.
The veteran boss was then asked to elaborate on his remarks and said: "I mean everything I say."
When Van Gaal was asked again whether he thought that Messi had to win the tournament at all costs, the Dutchman didn't hesitate to give a clear answer.
"I think so, yes," he claimed.
Van Gaal stepped down from his role as Dutch boss after the tournament, having previously revealed that he was undergoing treatment for prostate cancer, for which he had an operation last year.
