Argentina suffered a surprising 2-1 defeat to Paraguay in their World Cup qualifier early Friday morning, Bangladesh time. Alongside the loss, Lionel Messi grabbed headlines for an outburst against the referee.
Messi’s frustration stemmed from the referee’s failure to issue a card after repeated fouls. At one point, Messi was seen pointing a finger at the Brazilian referee, Anderson Daronco, speaking in an agitated manner. The incident occurred during the 33rd minute when Paraguay’s defender Omar Alderete received a yellow card for a rough foul. However, just four minutes later, Alderete fouled Messi, sparking strong protests from Argentina’s players. Despite the appeals, Daronco refrained from showing Alderete a second yellow card.
Messi, visibly displeased, expressed his anger as the teams headed into halftime. According to sports portal SBS Sports, Messi pointed at Daronco and said, “You’re a coward. I don’t like you.” Reports now suggest that Messi might face disciplinary action for his behavior.
The controversy didn’t end there. Argentina’s coach Lionel Scaloni also criticized the refereeing in the post-match press conference. When asked about the officiating, Scaloni responded, “I could say a lot of things, but it would sound meaningless and like an excuse. It’s better not to say anything; that way, no one will think of it as an excuse. We all saw what happened on the pitch, but it has no bearing on the result.”
Scaloni further added, “I’ve learned a lot from situations like this. Trying to prove something often sounds like an excuse, and people perceive it differently. It’s better to leave it behind and move forward.”
Argentina striker Lautaro Martínez, who scored their only goal, also expressed frustration with the referee. “I told him (Daronco) that Alderete shouldn’t have stayed on the pitch, and he shouldn’t have scored,” Martínez remarked.
