The Paraguayan player displayed disrespectful behavior towards Lionel Messi during the World Cup 2026 South American qualifiers match
In the World Cup 2026 South American qualifiers match between the Argentina national team and Paraguay, the reigning world champions secured a narrow 1-0 victory with the only goal coming from Nicolas Otamendi.
However, the spotlight of this match once again belonged to Lionel Messi, even though he didn’t score or provide an assist for La Albiceleste. In a contentious situation between the two sides, player Antonio Sanabria spat in the direction of the Argentina national team captain. Although it didn’t hit Messi, Sanabria’s action was caught on camera and drew widespread criticism.
In the World Cup 2026 South American qualifiers match between the Argentina national team and Paraguay, the reigning world champions secured a narrow 1-0 victory with the only goal scored by Nicolas Otamendi.
However, the highlight of the match once again centered around Lionel Messi, despite him not scoring or providing assists for La Albiceleste. In a contentious moment between the two teams, Paraguayan player Antonio Sanabria spat in the direction of the captain of the Argentina national team. Although it didn’t hit Messi, Sanabria’s action was captured by television cameras and received widespread criticism.
Furthermore, if the referee had noticed this incident, it could have warranted a red card for Sanabria, as spitting is considered an unacceptable behavior according to the rules.
After the match, the Paraguayan forward defended his action, stating that he didn’t do it intentionally, saying, “I didn’t do it on purpose; he was far away from me.”
Meanwhile, when asked about the incident, Lionel Messi didn’t react strongly but expressed his own views: “I didn’t know that happened; my teammates in the locker room told me someone spat on me. I still don’t even know who did it, but everything should end here.”
Whether Sanabria’s action was intentional or accidental, Lionel Messi displayed a mature response to calm the situation, allowing the team to focus on their upcoming match against Peru.
