Enzo Fernandez has been much maligned for being central to a racist chant directed at players of France, however, many are also inquisitive to know if Lionel Messi was also involved in the ugly incident.
Given he is also the captain of the national team of Argentina, several football enthusiasts are wondering why he is silent amid the angry outburst from most football stakeholders.
A live video made by Chelsea star Fernandez went viral on social media showing players of Argentina celebrating their 2024 Copa America triumph by singing racist chants toward French players.
Racial Chants Made By Players Of Argentina
They were said to have been chanting the words which read: “They play for France, but their parents are from Angola. Their mother is from Cameroon, while their father is from Nigeria. But their passport says, French.”
In the live video, it wasn’t clear if Lionel Messi was amongst the players, who were making those racial and discriminatory chants.
There are conflicting reports over the presence of Messi on the team bus in which the incident happened.
The 37-year-old wasn’t spotted in the live video made by Enzo Fernandez, and that made his fans less perturbed as they felt someone of his caliber couldn’t have been involved in such.
It is also unknown if Lionel Messi was in a position in the car where Enzo Fernandez’s phone camera couldn’t reach.
Is Lionel Messi Equally Guilty As Enzo Fernandez?
Anyway, the main question remains if he is equally guilty as Fernandez and why has he been silent since the news became widespread.
The former Barcelona man is a global football icon, with fans from different races alongside roots and as such, some football enthusiasts feel there is a need for him to wade in on the matter.
In cases like this, captains often speak soothing words that would help pacify aggrieved parties and Messi is yet to do so.
Lionel Messi could be doing so possibly due to him not being present on the bus, or because he could be calling time on his international career soon, hence, the “i-don’t-care” attitude
Lionel Messi At the 2024 Copa America
Messi is at the twilight of his career and performance-wise, he had an underwhelming outing at the 2024 Copa America despite Argentina winning the tournament.
The Inter Miami star netted 1 goal and provided 1 assist in 6 appearances at the competition.
Meanwhile, he was a good leader for the team, inspiring them in what certainly is his last days with the national team.
Lionel Messi is yet to retire from international football and fans expect that he could still be present at the 2026 FIFA World Cup that will be held in the United States of America, Mexico, and Canada.
Messi Career Stats
The ex-Paris Saint Germain man has made 882 club appearances thus far in his career, scoring 729 goals and providing 354 assists in all competitions.
Internationally, Messi has made 187 appearances for Argentina, scoring 109 goals and providing 58 assists.
Fans are keen to see the punishment that could be meted out to the Argentine squad, given the legal complaint which France have filed against the country.
It is also unknown if FIFA will be slamming Argentina and the players spotted in the video for the racist chants.
