Actor Gauahar Khan has weighed in on Lionel Messi's performance during Argentina's dramatic FIFA World Cup Round-of-16 clash against Egypt, sharing a strongly worded post on social media that has triggered discussion among football fans.
Argentina kept their title defence alive after staging a stunning comeback from two goals down to beat Egypt 3-2 and book a place in the quarterfinals. While the match was widely praised for its drama, Gauahar Khan's reaction centred on one moment involving Messi.
Taking to her Instagram Stories, Gauahar Khan reposted a reel highlighting a moment in which Messi covered his mouth after appearing to be struck during the game.
The original reel described it as the "saddest moment in football history" and questioned Messi's reaction during the match.
Sharing the clip, Gauahar wrote:
"What a loser, messy not Messi. Actor of the saddest order."
Her remarks quickly attracted attention online, with social media users expressing differing views on the actor's comments and the incident involving the Argentina captain.
The comments came after one of the most dramatic matches of the tournament.
Egypt looked on course for a famous upset after taking a 2-0 lead deep into the second half, leaving Argentina's World Cup title defence hanging by a thread.
However, Argentina mounted a late comeback, scoring three goals to secure a 3-2 victory and advance to the quarterfinals.
The match was also overshadowed by controversy over key refereeing decisions.
After the defeat, Egypt forward Mostafa Ziko criticised the officiating, alleging that crucial calls had gone against his side.
"The referee is unfair. This is clear and obvious injustice. He wasted the efforts of an entire country," Ziko said after the match.
Egypt were particularly unhappy with two decisions. A goal scored by Mostafa Ziko was disallowed following a VAR review that identified a foul in the build-up. The team also believed they should have been awarded a penalty after Hamdy Fathy was allegedly pulled inside the box shortly before Argentina scored the winning goal.
The VAR intervention has since become a major talking point, with debate continuing over whether the disallowed goal should have stood.
Gauahar Khan began her career as a model, finishing fourth at the Femina Miss India 2002 pageant, where she also won the "Miss Talented" title.
She made her acting debut in Rocket Singh: Salesman of the Year alongside Ranbir Kapoor in 2009. She has also appeared in Ishaqzaade and Badrinath Ki Dulhania. Her husband, Zaid Darbar, is currently participating in the reality show Alliance.
Her latest remarks on Messi have added another layer to the online conversation surrounding Argentina's victory, a match that continues to dominate discussions because of its dramatic comeback and the controversy over officiating.
