Outrageous Reaction from Messi to the Referee! "Speak to me properly, show some respect'
Argentina defeated 10-man Switzerland 3-1 in the quarterfinals of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, with goals scored during extra time after a 1-1 draw in regular time. With this victory, Argentina advanced to the semifinals to face England. While the referee's decisions sparked controversy throughout the match, Messi's reaction to the official became the main talking point.
Argentina secured their spot in the 2026 FIFA World Cup semifinals by defeating Switzerland 3-1 in extra time, thanks to goals from Alvarez and Lautaro Martinez, after the regular 90 minutes ended in a 1-1 deadlock. Argentina will now face England for a ticket to the final.
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Before the kickoff at Kansas City Stadium, a moment of silence was observed for the late South African footballer Jayden Adams.
Argentina’s superstar Lionel Messi failed to find the back of the net against Switzerland, snapping his nine-game scoring streak in the World Cup. Holding the title of the all-time top scorer in World Cup history with 21 goals, Messi currently shares the top spot in the 2026 tournament's golden boot race alongside Mbappe, having scored 8 goals in 6 matches.
Switzerland was reduced to 10 men in the 72nd minute. Following a challenge between Embolo and Paredes, Embolo went down, leading the referee to initially show Paredes a yellow card. However, after being alerted by VAR and reviewing the footage, referee Joao Pedro Pinheiro ruled that the Swiss player had dived to deceive the official. Consequently, he showed Embolo a second yellow card followed by a red, sending him off while rescinding Paredes' yellow card. As Embolo left the pitch in tears, the referee's decision sparked intense debate.
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Commenting on the incident after the match, Switzerland's manager Murat Yakin said: "We were punished for a mistake. There was absolutely no reason for Embolo to be sent off. I cannot understand it. It was an innocent challenge with no bad intentions. I won't go as far as saying Argentina was favored; it was a fair and open game."
As the match witnessed an intense battle on the pitch, tensions occasionally flared up between the players of both teams. A heated exchange between Portuguese referee Joao Pedro Pinheiro and Lionel Messi was caught on camera.
Messi, who was seen wagging his finger in protest at the referee, allegedly said: "Speak to me properly, show some respect. I am speaking to you perfectly fine and showing you respect."
