LAGOS, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA) The Spanish referee Mateu Lahoz revealed that Lionel Messi apologized for his behaviour during the 2022 World Cup.
In that tournament, Lahoz was the centre of attention during a heated quarter-final match between Argentina and the Netherlands, which ended in a penalty shootout win for Argentina.
The game saw numerous yellow cards and a red card, with Messi openly criticizing Lahoz’s appointment for such a high-stakes match.
In an interview with Tiempo de Juego, Lahoz recalled the incident, stating, “Leo Messi called me after the Netherlands game in the World Cup and apologized for the harsh words he said to me during the game.
“He was a different Messi in that game. He behaved very badly in the World Cup; it was a shame.”
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Lahoz also explained that he and Messi had shared many matches together over the years, which made the incident even more surprising.
Messi had taunted Dutch coach Louis van Gaal during the game by cupping his ears in the direction of the former Barcelona boss after scoring a goal.
Since then, Messi has attributed his behaviour during the match to nerves, acknowledging that it was not his best moment.
Additionally, Messi made headlines after the match for using the term “bobo” to describe Dutch player Wout Weghorst, which sparked controversy.
Overall, the incident serves as a reminder of the intensity and emotion that can accompany high-stakes football matches, even for the world’s greatest players like Lionel Messi.
