Former head coach of the Netherlands, Louis van Gaal, has claimed that the 2022 World Cup in Qatar was rigged in order to help Lionel Messi finally lift the trophy.

Messi scored twice in the final to help his country beat France 4-2 on penalties at Lusail Stadium.

Before then, the 36-year-old shone as they beat Netherlands, who were then managed by Van Gaal, in the quarter-final. Messi scored in normal time before guiding his country to a 4-3 win on penalties.

Van Gaal, who left the role shortly after, believes that the tournament was rigged so that Messi could finally win the trophy that had always eluded him.

“When you see how Argentina gets the goals and how we get the goals, and how some Argentina players overstepped the mark and were not punished, then I think it was all a premeditated game,” he told Dutch outlet, NOS.