After Argentina’s 2-0 loss in the fifth round of the South American qualifier for the 2026 World Cup earlier today, team captain Lionel Messi criticized an insulting gesture from Uruguay players.
Messi openly spoke out against the disrespectful actions displayed by the Uruguayan players during the match at La Bombonera.
The game saw numerous altercations, culminating in a particularly contentious incident involving Uruguay’s Manuel Ugarte and Argentina’s Rodrigo De Paul.
Ugarte was spotted making an obscene gesture towards De Paul during the altercation.
During his post-match interview, Messi stated (via Albiceleste Talk), “I prefer not to say what I think about some gestures. But these young people have to learn to respect their elders.”
“This game was always intense and hard but always with a lot of respect. They have to learn a little bit.”
