In the aftermath of Argentina's hard-fought victory over Paraguay in the FIFA World Cup qualifiers, Lionel Messi found himself at the center of an unfortunate incident, reported by GOAL. Paraguay striker Antonio Sanabria spat in Messi's direction during the match, a disrespectful act that went unnoticed by Messi himself during the game. However, Messi, the consummate professional, chose not to dwell on the incident, preferring not to give undue attention to Sanabria, a player he claims to know nothing about.

“My teammates told me about it in the locker room. It is better to leave the issue alone,” Messi remarked when asked about the incident. He continued, “I don't know who this guy is, and I don't want to give him importance either because if he gets that, he's going to go out and talk everywhere and he becomes known.”

Instead, Messi shifted the focus to the positive aspects of the match. Despite starting on the bench due to an injury, he was introduced in the 53rd minute and nearly found the back of the net, adding valuable minutes to his playing time. Reflecting on his performance, Messi expressed his satisfaction, saying, “I'm happy to play again and add minutes. It is always difficult to enter, and even more so in such a tight game. The important thing is that we won, and at times we played very well, especially in the first half.”

Looking ahead, Argentina will resume their 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign with a crucial match against Peru. For Lionel Messi, this international break has been an opportunity to contribute to his national team, a responsibility he takes seriously. While the incident with Sanabria marred the match, Messi's focus remains on leading Argentina to success in their quest for World Cup glory.