Lionel Messi seemed to take a jab at Raphinha following Argentina’s emphatic victory over Brazil.
The two South American giants faced off on Tuesday night at the Estadio Monumental in Buenos Aires during a 2026 World Cup qualifying match.
Argentina claimed an impressive 4-1 triumph, courtesy of goals from Julian Alvarez, Enzo Fernandez, Alexis Mac Allister, and Giuliano Simeone. Brazil’s sole goal came from Matheus Cunha. ..Continue Reading
Ahead of the clash, Brazil’s Raphinha had drawn attention with a controversial, explicit remark about Argentina.
He said: “We are going to play against Argentina, our biggest rival. Now, thank God, without Messi, are we going to beat them?
“We will beat them, no doubt. On and off the pitch, if we have to. F**k them,”
But, the Barcelona player’s comments did not age well as Brazil produced a poor display against their biggest rivals.
Raphinha failed to make a positive impact on the game despite playing the full 90.
After the game, Messi reacted to Argentina’s win with a statement which read: “Inside, outside, wherever it may be with this National Team. Always speaking through football.
“Congratulations on the great match you played last night and also on the win against Uruguay.”
Meanwhile, Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni stated he will forgive Raphinha, he said: “I forgive Raphinha because I know he didn’t do it on purpose, he defends his team and he didn’t do it on purpose.
“With or without statements, we would play our game and they would also play theirs. I forgive him because I’m sure he didn’t want to offend anyone.”
He added: “They are competing. If they feel they are not doing well, they have great players, people who love football and who have not yet seen those Brazilian teams. They will return. I hope not against Argentina, but I am a fan of Brazil.”
After their defeat, Brazil are currently in fourth place in the South American standings, behind the likes of Uruguay, Ecuador and Argentina.
