Messi’s Subtle Jab at Raphinha After Argentina’s Thrashing of Brazil
Lionel Messi appeared to deliver a pointed message to Brazilian winger Raphinha following Argentina’s commanding victory over Brazil in a recent World Cup qualifier. The match, a high-stakes clash between South American football giants, took place at the Estadio Monumental in Buenos Aires on Tuesday night.
Argentina dominated the encounter, securing a resounding 4-1 win against their rivals. The goals for Argentina came from a quartet of talented players: Julian Alvarez, Enzo Fernandez, Alexis Mac Allister, and Giuliano Simeone. Matheus Cunha managed to score a consolation goal for Brazil, but it did little to dampen Argentina’s celebratory mood.
The backdrop to this victory was set by some inflammatory pre-match comments from Brazil’s Raphinha. In the lead-up to the highly anticipated game, Raphinha made some bold, and ultimately ill-fated, statements about Argentina. His words added extra spice to an already intense rivalry and were quickly brought back into focus after Brazil’s defeat.
Here’s what Raphinha had boldly declared:
- “We are going to play against Argentina, our biggest rival.”
- “Now, thank God, without Messi, are we going to beat them?” (Note: Messi did play).
- “We will beat them, no doubt. On and off the pitch, if we have to. F**k them,”
However, Raphinha’s aggressive pre-match rhetoric spectacularly backfired. Brazil put in a lackluster performance, failing to live up to their star player’s brash predictions. Raphinha himself, despite playing the entire 90 minutes, was unable to influence the game in a positive way for his team. His words seemed to act as motivation for Argentina rather than intimidation.
Messi Reacts to Argentina’s Win and Raphinha’s Comments
Following Argentina’s impressive triumph, Lionel Messi, the Argentine captain and icon, responded to the victory with a post that has been widely interpreted as a subtle dig aimed directly at Raphinha. Messi’s social media statement, shared after the match, read:
“Inside, outside, wherever it may be with this National Team. Always speaking through football. Congratulations on the great match you played last night and also on the win against Uruguay.”
The phrase “Always speaking through football” is seen as a clear, yet classy, retort to Raphinha’s trash talk. Messi’s message emphasizes letting performances on the pitch do the talking, rather than relying on pre-match boasts that can fall flat.
Julian Alvarez opened the scoring for Argentina in the fourth minute. Image: Getty
Interestingly, Argentina’s coach, Lionel Scaloni, took a more forgiving approach towards Raphinha’s outburst. Scaloni stated, “I forgive Raphinha because I know he didn’t do it on purpose, he defends his team and he didn’t do it on purpose. With or without statements, we would play our game and they would also play theirs. I forgive him because I’m sure he didn’t want to offend anyone.”
Scaloni also acknowledged Brazil’s current struggles, adding, “They are competing. If they feel they are not doing well, they have great players, people who love football and who have not yet seen those Brazilian teams. They will return. I hope not against Argentina, but I am a fan of Brazil.”
This defeat leaves Brazil in a precarious fourth position in the South American World Cup qualifying table, trailing behind Uruguay, Ecuador, and their victorious rivals, Argentina. Raphinha’s comments and Brazil’s subsequent loss serve as a stark reminder that in football, actions on the pitch often carry more weight than words spoken before it.
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