Messi grabbed the Uruguayan player by the neck.

Argentina captain Lionel Messi grabbed defender Mathias Olivera by the neck during a scuffle in the hosts' defeat to Uruguay in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.

In the 19th minute, home midfielder Nicolas Gonzalez fell to the ground after being struck in the face by a Uruguayan player. The Argentinian players protested, but referee Wilmar Roldan did not blow the whistle, allowing play to continue with Gonzalez still on the ground. The visiting team also did not kick the ball out of bounds, allowing midfielder Maximiliano Araujo to continue dribbling, enraging the home players who rushed forward to foul Araujo from behind. Following this incident, players from both teams clashed.

Home midfielder Rodrido de Paul rushed forward and shoved Manuel Ugarte, followed by defender Olivera doing the same to De Paul. Messi also ran to the scene, grabbed Olivera by the neck, and pushed him away. Referee Roldan then intervened, telling Olivera, "Stop."

Messi (right) grabs defender Mathias Olivera by the neck during Argentina's 0-2 defeat to Uruguay at La Bombonera Stadium in Buenos Aires on November 16, 2023, in the South American qualifying round for the 2026 World Cup. Photo: Ole

The Colombian referee did not issue any cards after the altercation, and VAR did not intervene in Messi's actions. In a similar situation in the Premier League, midfielder Casemiro received a direct red card when Man Utd played Crystal Palace on February 4, 2023.

Ugarte further provoked De Paul in a subsequent incident, then used vulgar language and gestures implying that the Argentinian midfielder would do whatever Messi asked. After the first half, coach Marcelo Bielsa substituted Ugarte to avoid further trouble. Uruguay ultimately won 2-0 thanks to goals from Ronald Araujo and Darwin Nunez.

After the match, Messi said that such clashes are normal in South American football, and Uruguay "always plays like that." The 36-year-old superstar also said that the young Uruguayan players should learn to respect their seniors. "Matchups between Uruguay and Argentina are always very intense, but there is still a lot of respect," Messi added. "The young Uruguayan players need to learn more."

De Paul, however, refused to comment on the incident, saying he only wanted to talk about football. "Any scuffles that happen on the pitch will end after the match," he said.

Messi has received three red cards in his career, twice with Argentina and once with Barcelona. He was sent off in his first match for the national team in August 2005. At the Copa America in June 2019, he received a controversial direct red card for an altercation with defender Gary Medel in the third-place match. His most recent red card was for a strike on an Athletic Bilbao player in the Spanish Super Cup final on January 17, 2021.

Hoang An

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