In the 33rd minute of the match, Paraguayan defender Omar Alderete received a yellow card for a reckless foul. However, he didn’t seem to learn from his mistake. Just four minutes later, he committed another foul—this time against Lionel Messi. Despite strong protests from the Argentine players, Brazilian referee Anderson Daronco refrained from showing Alderete a second yellow card.
Messi was visibly displeased with the decision. He vented his frustration on the field during halftime and later, Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni criticized the referee in his own way during the post-match press conference.
Scaloni didn’t directly accuse Daronco but his words carried weight. According to Argentine outlet TyC Sports, Scaloni was asked about the officiating, to which he replied, “I could say a lot…but it would seem meaningless and like an excuse. It’s better to stay quiet so it doesn’t come off that way. We all saw what happened on the field. It had no impact on the result.”
Scaloni also reflected on learning from such experiences: “I’ve learned a lot from situations like this. Trying to justify things often comes off as excuses and people perceive it differently. It’s better to leave it behind.”
In the 37th minute, during a counterattack, Messi was fouled badly by Alderete. Had Daronco issued a yellow card, it would have been Alderete’s second, leading to a red card and his removal from the field. But Daronco opted against it, leading to sharp criticism from Messi. During halftime, Messi, accompanied by Nicolás Otamendi, confronted the referee on the field, pointing a finger and visibly expressing his anger.
To make matters worse for Argentina, in the 47th minute, Alderete scored a header, putting Paraguay ahead 2-1—the scoreline that ultimately handed Argentina the loss.
Argentine fans and players alike were furious with Daronco. Lautaro Martínez, who had initially put Argentina ahead in the 11th minute, voiced his frustration after the match: “I told him (Daronco) that Alderete shouldn’t have stayed on the field, let alone scored.”
Daronco has been a FIFA-listed referee since 2014 and was included in the pool of referees for the 2018 World Cup. However, he has faced controversy before, including during the Round of 16 match between Racing and River Plate in the Copa Libertadores and a contentious officiating performance in the 10th round of the 2022 World Cup qualifiers between Uruguay and Ecuador.
