AS LIONEL MESSI INCIDENT CITED
Brazil may have comfortably beaten Scotland 3-0 to top Group C at the 2026 World Cup, but the five-time world champions have still taken their frustrations to FIFA.
Despite the convincing victory in Miami, Carlo Ancelotti’s side believe they were on the wrong end of a controversial VAR decision and have now submitted an official complaint to football’s governing body.
The Controversial Decision
Brazil thought they had doubled their lead midway through the first half when Vinicius Jr dispossessed Scotland defender Jack Hendry before finishing past Angus Gunn.
However, after a lengthy VAR review, the goal was ruled out for a foul on Hendry in the build-up.
The decision left both Vinicius and Brazil’s coaching staff furious, with television cameras capturing Ancelotti’s angry reaction on the touchline.
Although Brazil eventually won 3-0 thanks to a Vinicius brace and a goal from Matheus Cunha, they believe the VAR intervention was inconsistent with decisions seen elsewhere during the tournament.
Brazil’s Official Complaint
According to reports in Brazil, the Brazilian Football Confederation has now formally contacted FIFA over the incident.
In their statement, Brazil argued that VAR has generally allowed referees’ on-field decisions to stand unless there has been a “clear and obvious error.”
They claim the decision to overturn Vinicius’ goal against Scotland did not follow that same standard.
The statement read in part:
“Our main interest is not to revisit individual decisions, but to ensure that the criteria governing VAR intervention are applied consistently, transparently and equally to all teams throughout the tournament.”
Lionel Messi Incident Referenced
According to reports from Argentina, Brazil also pointed to a previous incident involving Lionel Messi as part of their argument.
They reportedly believe a similar challenge in one of Argentina’s matches resulted in a goal being allowed to stand, raising further questions about the consistency of VAR decisions across the World Cup.
Brazil insist they are not seeking to have the Scotland result changed but want FIFA to clarify why similar incidents have been judged differently.
Scotland’s World Cup Ends in Defeat
While Brazil finished top of Group C with confidence, Scotland were left relying on results elsewhere after the defeat in Miami.
Steve Clarke’s side struggled to recover after conceding early and were eventually beaten 3-0, leaving their hopes of reaching the knockout stages hanging by a thread.
The VAR controversy involving Vinicius’ disallowed goal has now become another major talking point from the match.
The Bottom Line
Brazil won comfortably—but they still weren’t satisfied.
The five-time world champions have officially contacted FIFA over the VAR decision against Scotland, citing a previous Lionel Messi incident as evidence of inconsistent officiating.
Even after a 3-0 victory, the controversy surrounding Brazil vs Scotland is far from over.
