Amidst the police brutality in the stands during Argentina’s close victory over Brazil, Lionel Messi disclosed that he suffered from an adductor ailment during the match.
When Albiceleste fans were reportedly jeering the Brazilian national anthem, the authorities reacted angrily, to the point where custodian Emi Martinez attempted to join in. There was a 30-minute wait before the game began as the Argentina players made the decision to head back to the locker room. Messi disclosed that this was a planned move since the unsightly events at Rio de Janeiro’s Maracana stadium had an impact on his players.
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WHAT MESSI SAID ABOUT PRE-MATCH VIOLENCE
Asked by TyC Sports about the brutal reaction from police before the match, the Albiceleste skipper responded: “Obviously, how bad. We saw how they were hitting people, as happened in the final of the Libertadores, again repressing people with batons. There were players who had families there. You think about your family, you don’t really know what is happening and you are more focused on that than on playing a game. We saw how they were beating people, something awful could have happened. When everything calmed down we decided to go inside, ask how the relatives were, find out a little about everything. Then we went out.”
WHAT MESSI SAID ABOUT CARRYING AN INJURY
The 36-year-old lasted 78 minutes before being brought off for Angel Di Maria, and he hinted that this was due to a knock he had been playing through all game, adding: “[It was] an adductor discomfort. It was my last game [in 2023], I have time to get well and start the year with everything. I’m going to prepare to have a great year, have a great preseason and start from scratch.”
THE BIGGER PICTURE
Despite all the noise ahead of the feisty encounter, Messi and Co. held their nerve and saw out a narrow 1-0 victory thanks to a goal from Nicolas Otamendi. Lionel Scaloni’s side therefore cement their place at the top of the CONMEBOL World Cup qualifying table, consigning Brazil to a dismal sixth-place standing. Despite such a significant victory, though, Scaloni appeared to question his future at the helm after full time.
WHAT NEXT FOR MESSI?
As he alluded to in his post-match interview, the Argentina and Inter Miami star has played his last game for a significant time, meaning he now enjoys a rest period ahead of a return to MLS action next year. It remains to be seen whether a friendly against eternal rival Cristiano Ronaldo and Al-Nassr is still on the cards, after Miami refuted such arrangements on Tuesday.
