Lionel Messi puts World Cup referee in his place and accuses him of being 'disrespectful'
Lionel Messi pulled the strings as Argentina secured a semi-final spot at the World Cup thanks to a 3-1 win over Switzerland, but the Inter Miami forward clashed with João Pedro Pinheiro
Lionel Messi told referee João Pedro Pinheiro not to disrespect him in a heated clash during Argentina's World Cup quarter-final with Switzerland on Sunday morning. The two nations vied for a spot in the final four in Kansas City at 2am BST, with Argentina ultimately securing a 3-1 win.
Alexis Mac Allister opened the scoring for his nation just 10 minutes into the match off the back of a pinpoint corner, before Dan Ndoye levelled matters midway through the second-half. Julian Alvarez and Lautaro Martinez made the difference for the South Americans in extra-time, and Argentina will now go on to face England in the semi-finals of the tournament on Wednesday, July 15th as a result.
While Messi played a major part in his nation's success, the 39-year-old failed to see eye to eye with referee Pinheiro midway through the encounter. The Inter Miami forward was taken aback by the tone in which the official spoke with him in the build-up to a Switzerland free-kick.
Messi was part and parcel of Argentina's defensive wall when Pinheiro told him to move back to the required distance. However, Portuguese national's tone and gestures toward Messi appeared to frustrate him.
After the free-kick was taken, Messi then approached Pinheiro in anger, appearing to tell him: "Speak to me properly. Don't disrespect me. Speak to me properly; I spoke to you properly."
It was a largely out of character move from Messi, who has spent the majority of his career letting his football do the talking. However, it appeared not to knock him off his game, as he maintained his composure and managed to play the whole 120 minutes.
It comes as Messi spoke about Argentina's semi-final clash with England in the aftermath of his team's win over Switzerland, dubbing Thomas Tuchel's men as "powerhouses" as he prepares for his first-ever match against the Three Lions.
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He told the media: "Everything I have seen and remember [about Argentina vs. England from 1986] is from videos and images that Argentinians constantly watch and relive. But I think this group is used to playing football matches regardless of the opponent.
"Obviously, playing against England is special because they are a powerhouse, and matches against powerhouses are always special. Personally, it's the first time I'm going to play against them.
"I've played against everyone except England, so it will be nice for that reason too. And we'll experience it for what it is: a World Cup semi-final against a powerhouse, a great team, and we'll try to arrive in the best possible shape to compete again."
Argentina play England at 8pm BST on Wednesday in Atlanta, Georgia. The winners will then go on to face either France or Spain in the final of the 2026 World Cup.
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