In a recent interview, Ibrahimovic expressed his opinion that the controversy after the match went beyond professional matters.
Today, more than ever, I believe that the reaction after the Argentina - Egypt match is not against Argentina, but specifically aimed at Messi," Ibrahimovic said.
According to the former Swedish striker, many criticisms surrounding the controversial decisions of the referee have become an opportunity to underestimate Messi's value. He believes that public opinion often reacts more harshly whenever a controversial situation is said to bring an advantage to Argentina or the superstar born in 1987.
To reinforce his point of view, Ibrahimovic mentioned France's 2-0 victory over Morocco in the quarter-finals. He believes that before Kylian Mbappe's opening goal, a French player's hand touch appeared, but did not create a similar wave of controversy.
We saw a very clear touch before Mbappe scored. The goal should have been disallowed but was still recognized," Ibrahimovic commented.
Since then, the former striker of AC Milan, Inter Milan, Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain believes that controversies related to Messi are often pushed higher than in similar cases.
Ibrahimovic also mentioned Cristiano Ronaldo's fans when he said that the prolonged competition between the two superstars has contributed to creating heated debates every time Messi or Argentina is involved in controversial situations.
The Cristiano Ronaldo fan community is very emotional and simply they cannot accept Messi," Ibrahimovic said, while affirming that he is not afraid to express his views before the debates surrounding the two world-class stars.
