Furious Lionel Messi confronts 'coward' referee after Argentina suffer shock defeat

Lionel Messi was near frustrated arsenic Argentina fell to a daze decision astatine the hands of Paraguay connected Thursday night, with the Inter Miami prima confronting the referee during the game

Lionel Messi allegedly branded referee Anderson Daronco a 'coward' arsenic helium confronted the authoritative during Argentina's daze decision to Paraguay.

Messi captained La Albiceleste successful Thursday's World Cup qualifier astatine the Estadio ueno Defensores del Chaco. They opened the scoring through Lautaro Martinez conscionable 11 minutes in.

But Antonio Sanabria equalised soon aft with a stunning bicycle kick, earlier Omar Alderete netted the victor conscionable aft the break. The visitors were incapable to retrieve from Alderete's strike, falling to their 3rd decision of their qualification campaign.

Despite dominating with 77 percent of the possession, Lionel Scaloni's broadside registered conscionable 1 changeable connected target. Messi played each 90 minutes of the crippled and his frustrations boiled implicit astatine the extremity of the first-half.

Broadcasters filmed the Argentine skipper confronting Daronco implicit his nonaccomplishment to nonstop Alderete for his assertive tackles. The superstar was seen wagging a digit successful the referee's face.

Messi is besides alleged to person told the referee: 'You are a coward, I don’t similar you'. The Inter Miami prima struggled against Paraguay, having conscionable 3 touches successful the absorption container and failing to person a changeable connected target.

The visitors struggled to interruption down Paraguay's resiliant defence aft Alderete's strike. Argentina stay apical of the South American qualifiying group, 3 points wide of second-placed Colombia.

They big second-bottom Peru connected Tuesday nighttime arsenic they look to get backmost connected track. But contempt Thursday's defeat, Argentine brag Scaloni refused to criticise his players for their performance.

"I'm not present to knock my players, I'm present to enactment them. We knew it was going to beryllium a pugnacious game. We're present to support going and springiness assurance to galore of the caller players," Scaloni said.

"We played good successful the archetypal half, but the archetypal enactment astatine the commencement of the 2nd made things difficult. We person to congratulate our opponents, who defended precise well. We are playing and we anticipation to get backmost connected track.

"The squad ever tries, it stands up for itself successful the matches. The players don't springiness up connected a ball. We volition past analyse what we tin bash better. Peru volition beryllium a wholly antithetic rival, but it is besides difficult. We are going to hole good and hopefully we tin bring joyousness to the fans.

"We're looking to person extent with the accomplishment of Garnacho. He's bully astatine playing these kinds of games. Castellanos's accomplishment was good, helium has absorbing moves and we're blessed he's with us. We spot successful what we person been doing."

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