Wout Weghorst's request for Lionel Messi' s shirt was apparently the reason behind his angry argument with Argentine after the pair came to verbal blows in their World Cup semi-final showdown.
Messi’s Argentina secured their place in the semi-finals in Qatar after what was a bad-tempered affair. After the South American side raced into a 2-0 lead, they were pinned back by two Weghorst strikes after he had climbed off the bench - sending the game into extra-time.
Argentina eventually won on penalties but only before 17 yellow cards had been brandished by referee Antonio Mateu Lahoz. Tempers continued to flare come the end of the game particularly between Weghorst and Messi.
The seven-time Ballon d’Or winner hit out at the Dutch striker and brandished him as a “fool” during a post-match interview, something that left the Burnley flop “disappointed ”. Now, it has been confirmed what exactly happened by Esteban Edul - the man tasked with interviewing Messi after the match.
He said: "After the game, they were all bickering in the locker room, not just Messi. [Virgil] Van Dijk was falling out with [Nicolas] Otamendi.
“It looked like a Lanus-Banfield or a Newell's-Central, but it had more mouth because they were world stars. Most of Messi's anger was about the penalty shoot-out, when the Dutch bothered the Argentines. The 19 [Weghorst] was waiting in the tunnel.
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“He [Weghorst] approached Messi and asked him for his shirt. It was from there that Leo started to warm up.
"The Dutch player didn't understand, he stopped and Messi insulted him. He insulted him much more before the start of the interview during which he was a little calmer.
“He was so angry he didn't look at me or listen to my questions. I asked him about his incredible pass for [Nahuel] Molina and he told me about Van Gaal, FIFA… I couldn't ask him.
“At one point, while we were on the air, I said to him: ‘quiet Leo’ because there were a lot of people from FIFA and you never know what can happen. It's a memory that will live on forever.”
Whilst it remains to be seen if Messi could face sanctions for his explosive post-match comments, referee Lahoz has already dealt serious consequences due to his performance during the game. The Spanish referee has reportedly been sent home from Qatar and will not be allowed to take control of another game at the tournament.
Messi will be aiming to remain at the World Cup for the duration with their semi-final showdown with 2018 finalists Croatia set to be played at the Lusail Stadium on Tuesday evening. Should the South Americans progress, then they will take on either France or surprise package Morocco in the showpiece final.
