Lionel Messi faced criticism from fans who accused him of showing “disrespect” after a heated exchange with referee Anderson Daronco during Argentina’s tense World Cup qualifier against Paraguay.
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It was a disappointing night for La Albiceleste, who fell to a 2-1 defeat at the Defensores del Chaco Stadium.
The visitors initially took the lead with an early goal from Lautaro Martinez, who has been in excellent form. ..Continue Reading
However, Paraguay equalized through Antonio Sanabria’s stunning overhead kick, and Argentina struggled to regain their momentum.
After an uninspiring first half, Argentina found themselves trailing when Omar Alderete scored with a header early in the second half, capitalizing on a free kick earned by Brighton’s Julio Enciso.
Messi, who had a relatively subdued performance, displayed visible frustration throughout the match. In the first half, he was repeatedly fouled by Alderete, but the referee refrained from issuing the defender a second yellow card, sparking Messi’s ire.
The Argentine captain was later seen confronting Daronco, pointing his finger in the referee’s face. According to The Mirror, Messi allegedly said, “You are a coward, I don’t like you,” during the altercation.
Fans on social media were quick to share their reactions to the incident, expressing mixed opinions about Messi’s conduct.
One said: “The player who scored the 2-1 goal for Paraguay should have been sent off earlier in the game, Messi was telling the referee that he made a mistake, and he was right.”
A second wrote: “The ‘humble’ Lionel Messi disrespecting yet another referee. Messi told the referee: ‘You’re a coward, and I don’t like you!’ Imagine if Cristiano Ronaldo did something like this.”
A third commented: “Messi rightfully angry at the referee. He received two very harsh tackles in the first half,” and a fourth added: “This is embarrassing and disgraceful. He always gets away with it.”
Speaking after full-time, Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni refused to criticise his players.
“I’m here to support them,” Scaloni said in his post-match comments. “We knew it was going to be a tough match. We’re here to move forward. In the first half, we played a good game, but the first action at the start of the second half made everything more difficult.
“We have to congratulate the opponent, who defended very well.”
Scaloni added: “I don’t know if they found the antidote. We’re hoping to get back on the positive path. The team always tries and stands tall. That’s what’s important: never giving up on the game and always having the desire to compete.”
