Topics: FIFA World Cup, France, Argentina, Lionel Messi
Several supporters have expressed displeasured over the manner in which Argentina got their opener.

Furious fans have called out the referee of Sunday's final clash between Argentina and France for awarding a controversial penalty in favor of the former. The supporters were left in disbelief after Angel Di Maria had the decision going his way following an apparent trip, resulting in Lionel Messi scoring his sixth goal of the tournament.

France had the worst possible start to the match and eventually paid the price for their poor performance inside the first 20 minutes. On the right flank, Di Maria had made life uncomfortable for both Ousmane Dembele and Jules Kounde and the Juventus star made a significant break through by getting rewarded with what many deem to be a questionable penalty.

The 34-year-old managed to dribble past Dembele close to the French penalty box and took a tumble to the ground after making a soft contact with the foot of the Barcelona winger. The match referee Szymon Marciniak immediately pointed to the spot, awarding Argentina their fifth penalty of the World Cup - the most by any side in a single campaign in the history of the competition.

Lionel Messi subsequently stepped up to convert the chance for his sixth goal of the tournament, climbing to the top spot of the goalscorer's chart as a result. However, the turn of events has since sparked a debate on social media, with some supporters claiming that the penalty should have been reviewed by the Video Assistant Referee before being made to stand. 

Below are a few reactions: