Qatar World Cup: Lionel Messi slams Van Gaal after Argentina reach semis [Full Statement]

Lionel Messi has slammed Netherlands head coach Louis Van Gaal after his Argentina qualifies for the semi-final of the 2022 World Cup.

Argentina defeated Netherlands on penalties in their quarter-final meeting on Friday. Van Gaal and his players made a few controversial comments before the match, which Messi and Co did not forget.

Van Gaal said that Messi doesn't have a role to play to play when the ball isn't in Argentina's possession. When Messi did score in the quarter-final game, he ensured he celebrated it in front of the Dutch coach and also later confronted him at the end of the game.

In a video that has gone viral, Messi appears to be mouthing a few words towards Van Gaal after the match, accompanied by a hand gesture that indicates 'excessive chirping'. Later on, Messi, who is usually one of the most composed figures in football, directed a few slang at the Netherlands dugout during a post-match interview.

"I feel disrespected by Van Gaal after his pregame comments and some Dutch players spoke too much during the game. Van Gaal sells that he plays good football and then he puts forwards in the box and starts throwing long balls. We deserved to go through and that's what happened," Messi said after the match at Lusail Stadium.

Atletico Madrid's defender Nahuel Molina put Argentina 1-0 up with his 35th-minute strike. In the second half, Messi doubled his side's lead by scoring from the spot. Just when Argentina were cruising to a victory on Friday, Wout Weghorst, on loan at Besiktas from Burnley, came off from the bench and scored two late goals for Netherlands to take the match into extra time.

Meanwhile, even Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez slammed Van Gaal after he made two incredible saves in the penalty shootout in the quarter-final game.

"I had saved Van Gaal's words in my phone and I used it as a motivation every day before the game," said the Aston Villa goalkeeper.

The fierce competitive nature of the match could be evaluated by the fact that as many as 19 cards were handed out. As the knockout clash entered its final minutes, heated exchanges and rough physical contacts got more regular. At one point, when Messi ran towards Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez to celebrate the win, a fight broke out at the other side of the pitch between players of both camps. Questions were also raised of Spanish goalkeeper Antonio Mateu Lahoz but Messi chose to remain tight-lipped about him.

Emi Martinez once again shows why he is the best, praises Messi

"I don't want to talk about the referee because you can't be honest. If you talk they sanction you; FIFA must think about it, they can't put a referee who isn't up to the task for these instances," the PSG star said.

"We didn't expect to go to extra time, let alone to penalties. We suffered, but we are playing a World Cup quarterfinal. Argentina shows game by game that we know how to play. We came out with intensity and desire and we understood the moments of the game. We needed this and we are happy the whole country is celebrating now. [Martinez] once again showed that he's the best at saving penalties," added Messi.

Argentina, who were eliminated from the Round of 16 last time in Russia, are now just two steps away from winning the first World Cup since 1986. They came close in 2014 but lost to Germany 0-1 in the final. But the road to the final is still not easy for the Men in Blue and White as they next take on Croatia - who defeated Brazil in another classic earlier in the day – in the first semifinal on Tuesday.