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World Cup official Mateu Lahoz has opened up on the classy gesture shown by Lionel Messi after the referee officiated the quarter-final game between Argentina and the Netherlands.

The two countries served up one of the best and most controversial games in Qatar, with the spotlight being on so many incidents and the referee Lahoz, who fans claimed had an off day.

The Spanish referee issued 14 yellow cards - eight for the world champions and six for their opponents. He topped it with one red card for Denzel Dumfries during the shootout.

As reported by Marca, Messi and Emiliano Martinez expressed their dissatisfaction with the officiating, with the goalkeeper calling him useless. Lahoz was sent home afterwards, though it was pre-planned.

As reported by Mirror UK, the Argentina captain admitted he had regrets despite winning the tournament, and it was his actions during the quarter-final game in which he insulted Wout Weghorst and Louis van Gaal.

The official has now opened up on Messi's gesture after the game while speaking to Marca via Tribuna.
"Leo Messi CALLED ME and APOLOGIZED FOR THE HARSH WORDS HE DIRECTED AT ME. HE SAID HE WASN’T HIMSELF," he said.

The two had history during Messi's time in La Liga before leaving Barcelona in 2021. In 2018, the official apologised for ruling out Messi's goal in the 1-1 draw against Atletico Madrid, a goal that would have handed Barca the title.

Guardiola also had his fair share of controversy from Lahoz, who sent off the Manchester City boss during the 2017/18 UEFA Champions League quarter-final against Liverpool.

FC Barcelona icon Lionel Messi has decided to leave Inter Miami in 2025 according to El Nacional.
The Argentine has already chosen his next destination and the club where he will retire after completing arguably the greatest football career of all time.

The 36-year-old threw a curveball at Culers this summer when opting not to return to his former employers of more than 20 years in Barca.

Messi was nearing free agency with Paris Saint-Germain at the time. Rather than wait for the Catalans to get their financial house in order, however, the number 10 ventured over the Atlantic to Inter Miami in the MLS where he has proven a roaring success.

He penned a two-season deal which pays him "between $50 and $60 million per year" as explained by Inter Miami co-owner Jorge Mas to El Pais. Elsewhere, though, there have been reports that Messi will make eyewatering sums in separate arrangements with AppleAAPL and Adidas.

Whether this is accurate or not, Messi is once again a free man in 2025.

And while his current country of residence the United States will host the World Cup with Mexico and Canada - which Argentina will go into as defending champions - a year later, their leader looks set to head south as opposed to continuing his career on American soil.

This is because Messi has already decided to join Newell's Old Boys in his hometown of Rosario according to El Nacional, in what would be the ultimate show of respect to their typically hardcore supporters.

Messi got a feel for the kind of adoration he would receive from them on a weekly basis when playing in a testimonial match for Maxi Rodriguez at their Estadio Marcelo Bielsa a few months ago.

With Messi landing the Albiceleste their third World Cup title at Qatar 2022, it is something that would be replicated at grounds around Argentina where he has now been accepted by the general public after emerging out of Diego Maradona's shadow.

Finally playing for Newell's as a professional would bookend Messi's journey perfectly after leaving their academy as a 13-year-old to take a successful trial at FC Barcelona.

Regardless of where he ends up next, though, it is still likely that Messi dons Blaugrana once more in his own tribute match when the renovation of their Camp Nou stadium is finished.

Havertz29s:
What about hamburger and LGBT+ Scam

Havertz29s:
These clubs have one thing in common.....

hatakekakashi:
Add Sporting Lisbon and Portugal national team jerseys too, bro.

hush15:
RONALDO is the best. One worked to be the best, the other was on a platter of gold as far as am concerned.

BabaIbo:
Who cares about your fifa powered dwa rf player?

I never liked him as a player from the beginning, and nothing has changed.

The guy is a fra ud, always getting covered by the association.

Babysho:
Hold on, and do you use safari often for it to be so or you feel Safari is consuming extra data than it should.

It's Safari as well here but I do use in downloading iso files for my ppsspp but the data consumed I'm seeing sometimes exceeds what I downloaded.

babajero:
And that same person that bribes referees won the world cup, with 2 penalties awarded against him in a final match. Please use your brain. The only place Ronaldo can compete with Messi is on goal scoring ability.

Kingcalls:
.

RingRoadMafia:
🤣🤣🤣

But why man go dey use female profile?

Kingcalls:
Look at this gala seller things we care about his deluded opinion

AllenSpencer:
History will never forget how CR7 conquered Europe. His versatility and dominance across Europe will always be remembered. The charisma of him rising to the stage when it mattered most, will never be forgotten.

The scribes has it that Messi was favored by the collaboration of FIFA, UEFA and Adidas!

smokinloud:
Seems Seun is a Messi fan.
He's always promoting threads that praise Messi!.

RingRoadMafia:
We don't fight women over here, we make love to them 😁

busterr:
Rest

Luckysbab:
What exactly have you said. Wetin be your point?

Luckysbab:
So make we slaughter goat?


No be in a Messi dey call person donkey on top criticism:

https://www.goal.com/en-cm/news/jamie-carragher-lionel-messi-insulting-dm-pundit-criticism-kylian-mbappe-neymar-psg/blt0ad7a430bf01f487

Zee0007:
His opinion. To me, C Ronaldo is the 🐐. Sincerely speaking, I can't pay to watch Messi. No hard feelings.

Gary Lineker has revealed that Cristiano Ronaldo refused to speak to him due to his opinion of Lionel Messi.

Over the last few years, one of the biggest debates amongst football fans is whether Ronaldo or Messi is the undisputed GOAT of football.

During their illustrious careers, both players have been breaking records left, right and centre and they often went head-to-head during their time in La Liga, with Ronaldo playing for Real Madrid and Messi for Barcelona.

Speaking about the rivalry, former Barcelona and England striker Lineker revealed that Ronaldo refused to speak to him in the past.

During the BBC’s coverage of Portugal vs South Korea at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, Rio Ferdinand spoke about Ronaldo.

He said: “It's weird because he's achieved so much so what more is there for him to aim at? But he'll be scratching around so he's got something to aim at because he needs that fuel.

“He uses every single comment from a pundit, comment from the media, report or record that's available as fuel.”

At this point, Lineker said: “I can tell you from my own experience that if you harbour the opinion that Lionel Messi is the better footballer, then he doesn't want to speak to you.”

Ferdinand then joked: “He doesn't like you Gary.”

Lineker then continued: “That's okay. I understand that even though I have adored watching his career. He's an incredible footballer but a bit touchy on that particular subject.”

As per The Express, Lineker said back in 2020: “People get very tribal in all sorts of ways in life, and Messi versus Ronaldo is one of them.

“I am a huge fan of Ronaldo too, but if you're talking about the best player ever, there shouldn't even be a debate that it is Messi. That's just my opinion, but it's not even close for me.”

Eriggs:
You mean Messi dey happy say him cup lose final?
Wetin u dey smoke?
Who be ya dealer? NM.

Cypher00001:
You are just a fool then
You are a old fool

Padipadi:
No wonder Messi's team lost. When next are they playing smother final?
Make Zinedine come again. Messi and his don play like 3 finals dz year. Shey na one match cup dem sabi play for golf league?

Manlikebaro:
Do you know the relationship between Zidane & Beckham?