'FIFA helped Argentina become world champions. They wanted to promote Messi': ex-Uruguay player Lugano

Uruguayan legend Diego Lugano denounced the apparent favoring of Argentina in the last World Cup in Qatar.

controversy with an opinion that tries to ruin the world championship achieved by Argentina in 2022. Lugano bemoaned the referee's treatment in favor of the Argentines.

"They helped Argentina become champions. Four of the five penalties they were awarded were not penalties," said the 42-year-old former center-back in an interview on Uruguay's Radio Carve.

"I have no doubt [that FIFA helped Argentina become the World Cup winners]," former Uruguay international Diego Lugano has told Futbol por Carve.

"You see [Mike] Tyson in the Messi shirt, you see Tiger Woods, you see Roger Federer. Do you think that FIFA don't see that it works in their favour?

"But cheers to Argentina too, they took advantage of this situation," the 42-year-old added.

The Uruguayan reasoned those refereeing favors: "Since the introduction of VAR, the referee is given excessive power to interpret whatever he wants at any time. In a match there can be 20 penalties or none at all and I think soccer is in chaos.

 I said that to Pierluigi Colina (former UEFA referee) in the World Cup, with some anger, for what he did to us. And it happens in Argentina too. Didn't you see Boca's penalty against River? I think that what FIFA did with the VAR is a purely political move," ended Lugano.