Messi set to reunite with Spanish referee who booked him for Maradona tribute
LIONEL MESSI is set to meet the official who booked him for his Diego Maradona tribute after the Argentine hero’s death in 2020.
Fifa have confirmed their appointments for this weekend’s World Cup quarter-finals.
Argentina vs Holland will be whistled by LaLiga referee Mateu Lahoz.
The Spaniard, 45, took charge of many Messi matches during the 35-year-old’s 17 years in Barcelona’s first team.
Most notably, Lahoz was the official that showed the Argentine hero a yellow card for his moving Maradona tribute two years ago.
Following the legend’s passing, Messi scored a brilliant goal against Osasuna during a LaLiga match.
He removed his Barca shirt to reveal a Newell’s Old Boys jersey with Maradona’s No10 on the back.
This made for an emotional moment, as Messi pointed to the sky in a nod to his fellow Argentine great.
But, a stickler for the rules, Lahoz flashed a yellow card Messi’s way for removing his shirt.
Lahoz was also the man in the middle when Barcelona met Atletico Madrid on the final day of the season in a title decider back in 2014.
A Messi strike that would have won Barca the league was controversially ruled out that day.
Lahoz has officiated two games so far at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
He was in charge for the opening match between Qatar and Senegal, during which he showed six yellow cards.
While he was also the man in the middle during the USA’s 1-0 win over Iran, flashing four yellow cards on the day.
