New footage reveals Lionel Messi and Rodrygo's heated argument in full | OneFootball

Highlights

Argentina, spearheaded by captain Lionel Messi, secured a historic win over their international arch-rivals Argentina as Nicolas Otamendi’s second half header sealed all three points in their important World Cup qualifying clash. But the sharp-eyed viewers noticed Messi and Real Madrid and Brazil ace Rodrygo exchanging some choice words after the eight-time Ballon d’Or led his compatriots back onto the pitch after going in the dressing room, as chaos ensued in the crowds between Argentinian fans and Brazilian police officers.

Fernando Diniz’s side found themselves one goal down in the 63rd minute courtesy of Nicolas Otamendi’s rising header and struggled to respond in vintage Brazil fashion. To make matters worse, Newcastle United’s Joelinton was sent off for shoving Rodrigo De Paul after a short-lived nine-minute cameo - and it was at this point that any sort of positive result seemed too far away.

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Argentina, therefore, retain their top spot in the World Cup Qualification CONMEBOL Group after their narrow 1-0 win, while Brazil reside in sixth spot – just inside the qualifying spots. The return fixture between the two South American powerhouses – ranked as the fiercest rivalry in international football - will play out in March 2025.

Brazilian police clash with Argentina fans

Before a ball was even kicked, chaos erupted in the stands of the Maracana as the national anthems played out. In shocking scenes, the Brazilian police were seen beating the visiting Argentina supporters with their batons, much to the disgust of the Argentina players and goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez specifically.

The Aston Villa shot stopper can be seen attempting to intervene with a specific police offer while shouting and pointing in their direction. In particular, the 31-year-old, tried to swat away his baton as the heated standoff in the stands continued to erupt. As such, Messi, captain of La Albiceleste, ordered his international teammates to return to the dressing rooms. Though, as we learned later, this was much to the dismay of Brazil’s Rodrygo, who brandished the 2022 World Cup winners as ‘cowards’.

Messi and Rodrygo’s heated exchange

Messi, captain of La Albiceleste, ordered his international teammates to return to the dressing rooms. But upon their return to the pitch, as ordered was restored in the crowds, Rodyrgo had some stern words for them. The Madrid winger accused Argentina of cowardice for not agreeing to start play amid the disarray as Messi and De Paul approached him.

Translated by FOX Sports Argentina, Messi, whose World Cup shirt is set to sell at auction for a mouth-watering amount of money, had a cold response, referencing their iconic win back in November.

The game eventually kicked off, though the pair would later go on to resume their feud while one of Messi's teammates was receiving treatment from an Argentinian medic - and boy did the 180-cap, 106-goal Argentine deliver an iconic response.

Rodrygo's father calls out Lionel Messi after clash

Rodrygo's father attempted to come to his son's aid post-match and took to social media to call out Messi for not being such a nice person. Captioned 'The saint who does not mess with anyone', the post was two still images of Messi getting confrontational with a) Rodrygo and b) Uruguay defender Mathias Olivera the game before, in the hopes that the football world will change their perspective on the Argentine forward.

Lionel Messi explains why Argentina walked off pitch after violence in stands

Post-match, the eight-time Ballon d’Or shared his concerns about the actions of the Brazilian police and explained why they returned to the changing rooms before kick-off.

The former Barcelona ace then explained that, with their families in attendance, they decided it was best to leave the field of play and return to safety with the hopes of calming the situation. Enraged at the treatment of their travelling fans, Lionel Scaloni’s outfit insisted they would return to the pitch once the crowd troubles had settled, which they did after a 20-minute period.