There were several sensations in the 11th round of the World Cup qualifying round. The first one was a draw between Brazil and Venezuela (1:1). Vinicius Junior had the ball to win, but he missed the penalty kick. But it's not about the footballer Real Madrid and his team's failure is the most talked about. The Argentines with Leo Messi made an even bigger mistake. Moreover, it was the Inter Miami player who caused considerable controversy.
Leo Messi failed. Scandalous words against the referee
Lionel Scaloni's players played away against Paraguay. And there was no doubt that despite playing in hostile territory, they would be favorites. They started the match brilliantly, as already in the 11th minute Lautaro Martinez put the ball in the net after a brilliant pass by Enzo Fernandez. However, the guests' joy did not last long.
Just eight minutes later, Antonio Sanabria equalized the score with a kick that took the Argentine goalkeeper completely by surprise. Scaloni's players tried to take the lead again, but they were not effective. It was getting more and more nervous on the pitch.
Even on his own, he couldn't control his emotions Messi. And it was only a miracle that he wasn't sent off after 45 minutes. A recording appeared online showing the Argentine speaking rude words to the referee moments before going for the break. To put it mildly, he was not satisfied with the referee's work. – You're a wimp, I don't like you – Messi allegedly said to the match referee's face. Moreover, he also made a rather eloquent gesture and clearly wagged his finger at the referee.
Internet users were outraged. Where's the penalty for Messi?
Was Messi punished for this? Absolutely not, which made Internet users quite angry. In their opinion, he deserved at least a yellow card, although showing him a red card would not be an exaggeration. “Well, Messi has the freedom to talk to the referees. He can say whatever he wants.” “Any other player would have been sent off. But it's Messi. He needs to be protected,” they wrote, outraged.
Ultimately, Argentina lost to Paraguay. In the 47th minute, Omar Alderete made it 2-1 with a great cross. Even though the guests tried to equalize, they failed to achieve their goal. They also tried to put pressure on the referees. This was the case, among others, in the 61st minute, when Nicolas Otamendi fell down in the penalty area, but the referee did not indicate a penalty.
Despite the defeat, Argentina remained in first place in the table. Its advantage over second place Colombia is three points, but its rivals have not played a match yet. Next game Messi and company are scheduled for November 20. Their opponent will be Peru.