Lionel Messi pulled the strings as Argentina beat Switzerland 3-1 to book their place in the World Cup semi-finals, but the Inter Miami forward collided with João Pedro Pinheiro.
Lionel Messi collides with the referee as Argentina beat Switzerland in the World Cup (Image: X)
Lionel Messi told referee João Pedro Pinheiro not to take him lightly during the World Cup quarter-final match between Argentina and Switzerland on Sunday morning. The two countries competed for a spot in the final four at 2 a.m. (Japan time) in Kansas City, with Argentina winning 3-1.
Alexis Mac Allister opened the scoring for his country from a pinpoint corner kick just 10 minutes into the match, before Dan Ndoye equalized midway through the second half. Julian Álvarez and Lautaro Martínez made the difference for the South American team in extra time, and as a result Argentina will now face England in the semi-finals of the tournament on Wednesday, July 15th.
Messi has contributed greatly to his country’s success, but the 39-year-old was unable to make eye contact with referee Pinheiro midway through the match. The Inter Miami forward was surprised by the tone in which officials spoke to him during the build-up to Switzerland’s free kick.
Messi was part of Argentina’s defensive wall when Coach Piñeiro told him to drop back to the required distance. But the Portuguese’s tone and body language towards Messi seemed to irritate him.
After the free-kick was taken, Messi angrily approached Piñeiro and appeared to tell him: “Speak to me. Don’t disrespect me. Speak to me. I spoke to you.”
It was a move that was very out of character for Messi, who has spent most of his career focused on his own football. However, he didn’t seem to get discouraged from the game, kept his cool and managed to play for 120 minutes.
Messi was speaking about Argentina’s semi-final match against England, calling Thomas Tuchel’s team “a powerhouse”, just after Argentina’s win over Switzerland, as he prepares for his first match against the Three Lions.
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“Everything I see and remember (of the 1986 Argentina-England match) is from videos and images that Argentines watch and relive all the time. But I think this group is used to playing a game of football regardless of the opponent,” he told the media.
“Of course, playing against England is special because they are a strong team and any match against a strong country is always special.Personally, it is my first time playing against England.
“We’ve played against everyone but England, so it will be good in that sense. And we’re going to experience what it’s like to play against a strong country, a great team in the World Cup semi-finals, and we’ll try to arrive in the best shape possible to play again.”
Argentina will play England on Wednesday at 8pm BST in Atlanta, Georgia. The winner will face either France or Spain in the 2026 World Cup final.
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