Argentina suffered a shock 1-2 defeat to Paraguay in the qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup, and Lionel Messi was at the centre of a scene that set tongues wagging.
After banning the wearing of Leo Messi jerseys, Paraguay pulled off a shock 2-1 win over Argentina on Thursday night. At half-time, a frustrated Lionel Messi lashed out at Brazilian referee Anderson Daronco. At issue was the lack of punishment for Paraguayan defender Omar Alderete, whom Messi felt deserved a second yellow card for foul play, which would have led to his sending off.
Clearly irritated, the Argentina No10 pointed his finger at the referee and said. “You’re shitting yourself, I don’t like you”.
Surprisingly, Daronco did not react by issuing a card for this outburst from the usually more reserved Messi. The irony struck in the second half when the same Omar Alderete scored the winning goal for Paraguay. It plunged Argentina into deeper bitterness. This defeat marks a turning point for Argentina, who will have to adjust their game and their mentality for the next few games. For Messi and his team-mates, this setback is a reminder that every detail counts in these tense qualifiers, where emotions can quickly get the better of you.
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