Lionel Messi is rarely the kind to be engaged in an on-field altercation with his opponent. But on two recent occasions, he has proven to everyone that he is human.
The Inter Miami match against Orlando City was a very heated one. And while Messi is no stranger when it comes to getting targetted constantly by defenders, this time, he could not withhold his frustration as he lashed out at Wilder Cartagena and continued similarly in the tunnel.
Lionel Messi confronts Orlando City player in the tunnel
Throughout Messi’s career, he’s been rarely seen having altercations with his opponent. He is usually quiet on the pitch despite several opponents’ aggressive tackles. But a new Lionel Messi showed up at the Qatar World Cup in the match against the Netherlands.
Messi speaking angrily in Spanish, told a Netherlands player to quit looking at him. This was the aftermath of the tension between the Argentina and the Netherlands teams. Messi’s comments caught a lot of football fans around the world by surprise because he barely showed that side of himself both on and off the pitch.
In the MLS match against Orlando City, Lionel Messi flared up against the opponent and was penalized with a yellow card. Before this happened, the 36-year-old, seven-time Ballon d’Or winner had played excellently and even scored in the match as expected, but he was fortunate to avoid a second booking before the second half.
The 36-year-old Argentina superstar received a yellow card caution in the 20th minute when he aggressively kicked down Wilder Cartagena.
Before the first 45 could be finished, Messi delivered a body check to Cesar Araujo which was not called for a foul — and ostensibly led to words with the 22-year-old midfielder as the teams walked down the tunnel tied at 1-1.
Orlando coach blasts officials asking for Messi red card
According to Dailymail, Orlando City’s coach aimed a swipe at the referee when he called the match against Inter Miami a “circus.” He further stated that the referee should have sent off Lionel Messi for his professional conduct.
الأسطورة مع لاعب اورلاندو 😡 pic.twitter.com/iO6iDLaY7q
— Messi Xtra (@M30Xtra) August 3, 2023
Messi was booked in the 21st minute, and Pareja felt he should have been dismissed with a second yellow after another foul. The Colombian coach added, “There was a double yellow card for Leo Messi. I don’t care that he was Messi. That affects the game. The match should be fair, and that was not the case on the field”.
“We take our responsibility, OK, we lost, we are frustrated, but I have to say (this), you cannot hide this kind of situation,” he said.
The game was level 1-1 until Inter Miami was awarded a penalty when Venezuelan striker Josef Martinez fell after a slight tug in the box. Pareja was also fuming with that decision and the overall handling of the game. Saying It is the penalty is completely undeserved
“The attention that we get with all that is happening, it becomes a circus (this match) was a circus,” said Pareja, who was angered that the referee did not go to the monitor to review the penalty award.
“The penalty was unbelievable. Unbelievable. If the VAR was there and we have referees, then we have to be honest and go and see it because the game deserved it,” he said.
“We’re frustrated. The people want to see soccer, and things have to be fair (in this game), it was not the case,” added the Orlando coach. He further noted that Barton, the referee, did not go to the monitor later in the game to overrule an Orlando goal.
This begs the question of whether Lionel Messi is being ascribed a higher standard than other players in the MLS. Some allege ‘yes’ while others disagree. But nothing erodes Messi of the reputation he has already made for himself in the world of football.
