Lionel Messi lost his cool against his opponents during Argentina’s 2026 World Cup qualifiers match against Uruguay.
It was one of those rare moments Leo would engage his opponents in a heated row live in a match but he couldn’t help as tensions flared between the two teams.
Argentina went into the game against Uruguay as one of the best national teams having gone over 50 matches with only one defeat. Barcelona star Ronald Araujo and Liverpool frontman Darwin Nunez were the Albiceleste’s nightmare as they scored a goal each to end the teams gigantic trail on international football.
Argentina had a slew of chances to turn things around but had to wage battle with the resilient visitors who held on to grab a hard-fought win over the reigning world champions.
One of the high-points of the match was when Lionel Messi squared up with Uruguay players as tensions between the two teams spilled out of control in the 19th minute. In a viral footage captured in this post, Lionel Messi could be seen furiously grabbing the shirt of a Uruguayan player before other players rushed to the scene.
Details of the incident shows Argentina star De Paul started the fight when he was confronted by Uruguayan players. Messi just intervened to calm the situation but went more aggressive when he met the resistance of some Uruguay players.
Speaking after the match which ended in a defeat for Argentina, Lionel Messi blamed the fallout on Uruguay players. In a quote shared by Fabrizio Romano, he said;
“I prefer not to say what I think about some gestures.
“But these young people have to learn to respect from their elders”.
“This game was always intense and hard but always with a lot of respect.
“They have to learn a little bit”.
The match was the first time Argentina have dropped points in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.
