Actor Gauahar Khan has stirred a debate on social media after criticising Lionel Messi following Argentina's dramatic 3-2 victory over Egypt in the FIFA World Cup Round of 16. Her remarks, shared on Instagram Stories, quickly divided football fans, with many defending the Argentine captain while others reacted to the viral post.
Soon after the match, Gauahar reposted a video showing Messi covering his mouth after appearing to be struck during the game. The original post described the moment as one of football's saddest scenes and questioned the Argentine star's reaction.
Sharing the clip, Gauahar wrote, "What a loser, messy not Messi. Actor of the saddest order."
Her comments rapidly gained attention across social media, triggering mixed reactions. While some users supported her opinion, many fans criticised the actor for targeting the World Cup-winning footballer.
Gauahar's post came after Argentina produced one of the finest comebacks of the competition. Egypt stunned the defending champions by racing into a 2-0 lead late in the match, putting Argentina's World Cup campaign in danger. However, the South American side responded with three goals to seal a dramatic 3-2 victory and secure a place in the quarterfinals.
VAR Decisions Spark Fresh Debate
There was also great controversy over some of the decisions referees made in the matches. After the defeat, Egyptian forward Mostafa Ziko was critical of the officiating, stating that many decisions went against his team. Egyptian players were especially unhappy with the decision after a goal by Ziko following a VAR review for a foul in the build-up.
The team also appealed for a penalty after Hamdy Fathy was allegedly pulled inside the penalty area moments before Argentina scored the decisive goal. Those incidents have fuelled widespread debate among football fans over the role of VAR in the match.
Who Is Gauahar Khan?
Gauahar Khan started as a model and finished as the runner-up in the Femina Miss India pageant 2002, and was also awarded the Miss Talented title. She debuted in Bollywood with Rocket Singh: Salesman of the Year and has since been seen in films like Ishaqzaade and Badrinath Ki Dulhania.
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