‘I saw it and I wanted to die’ – PSG’s Manuel Ugarte regrets making obscene gesture during Uruguay-Argentina match | OneFootball

Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Manuel Ugarte (22) has said that he regrets making an obscene gesture towards Rodrigo De Paul (29) during Uruguay’s 2026 World Cup qualifier against Argentina.

During the match in which Uruguay beat Argentina 2-0, there was a heated moment after a foul on former PSG forward Lionel Messi. During the scuffle, cameras showed Ugarte mimicking a fellatio gesture towards Atletico Madrid’s De Paul and pointing at Messi, insinuating that the former was a suck-up to the latter.

Ugarte apologises to De Paul

It was a gesture that went viral, much to the displeasure of Ugarte, who told Uruguayan media Sport 890 that he didn’t initially realise that he made the gesture at all. “When I was told that one of my gestures had gone viral, I didn’t understand. Then I saw it and I wanted to die. It’s not good,” said the PSG midfielder.

He added, “In the moment, I didn’t really realise. I probably did it without realising it. When I was told it had gone viral, I didn’t even remember what I’d done. Then I saw it and I said: I’m an animal! Sometimes, in the heat of the moment, I do things that I shouldn’t do. I haven’t spoken with him (De Paul) but of course, I want to apologise because it’s something that has gone viral, but as he said, it stays on the pitch.”

Having received a yellow card in that game against Argentina, Ugarte is suspended for the match against Bolivia. He has therefore returned to Paris on Tuesday ahead of Friday night’s match against AS Monaco.

GFFN | Luke Entwistle