The tense exchange between Lionel Messi and referee João Pinheiro drew attention in the quarter-final match between Argentina and Switzerland on the morning of July 12.
In a controversial situation, television cameras captured the moment the Argentina captain expressed his dissatisfaction with the Portuguese referee.
According to ESPN Argentina, Messi was reported to have said: “Talk to me properly. Do not disrespect me, because I always talk to you with respect”.
Despite a rather fierce reaction, the 39-year-old superstar still maintained his composure and did not let the incident affect his performance on the pitch. In fact, the first half of the match between Argentina and Switzerland took place tensely with many aggressive tackles from both teams.
Witnessing that, Messi was said to be unhappy when his teammates continuously had to stay on the ground, while referee Pinheiro refused to show cards to the Swiss players.
Mr. Pinheiro is a highly rated referee in Europe thanks to his experience officiating many big matches. Last season, he refereed the European Super Cup match between PSG and Tottenham.
Although this is only the first World Cup in his career, the 37-year-old referee quickly gained trust from FIFA. Before the confrontation between Argentina and Switzerland, Pinheiro had been assigned to handle many matches in the knockout stages of the tournament.
