Lionel Messi’s Fiery Outburst Shakes Argentina’s Loss to Paraguay

Argentina’s World Cup qualifying campaign took a dramatic turn as they suffered a shocking 2-1 defeat to Paraguay in Asuncion. The night wasn’t just marked by the Albiceleste’s third loss but also by an unprecedented display of frustration from Lionel Messi.

After Lautaro Martínez’s opener in the 11th minute, Paraguay equalized through Sanabria in the 19th minute. A pivotal moment came when Messi was brought down by Omar Alderete, who was already on a yellow card. To the disbelief of Messi and his teammates, no second booking followed, sparking heated protests. At halftime, Messi confronted referee Anderson Daronco, venting his frustration with fiery words: “You’re shitting yourself, I don’t like you.”

Messi outburst video here

The controversy deepened when Alderete, still on the pitch, scored Paraguay’s winner early in the second half. Despite Messi’s brilliance, including two close free-kick attempts, Argentina failed to equalize. Substitute Alejandro Garnacho added energy, but missed opportunities from De Paul and Castellanos sealed their fate.

In his post-match press conference, Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni refrained from escalating the referee controversy, stating, “I could say a lot, but that would sound like an excuse. Everyone saw what happened.”

Argentina, still leading the South American group by three points, will now face Peru on Wednesday, looking to bounce back from a night of bitter frustration and lost opportunities.