Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Manuel Ugarte went viral on Thursday during the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying match between Argentina and Uruguay.
In the first half, Ugarte got into a confrontation with Atletico Madrid midfielder Rodrigo De Paul. Afterward, the 22-year-old would make an NSFW gesture at the 29-year-old.
Uruguay would win the contest 2-0 and claim all three points. Nonetheless, even after the game, there was still animosity between the two squads. Former PSG star Lionel Messi was asked about the gesture and offered to remain silent rather than say what he truly feels.
“I prefer not to say what I think about some gestures,” Messi said after the loss. “They have to learn from the greatest; they have to learn a little.”
“Prefiero no decir lo que pienso sobre algunos gestos, tienen que aprender de los más grandes, tienen que aprender un poquito”.
Lionel Messi. pic.twitter.com/QzGbcCmhlD
— Sudanalytics (@sudanalytics_) November 17, 2023
Argentina will look to have a bounce-back performance to close out this FIFA break. Messi and Co. will be traveling to Rio de Janeiro to face Brazil, which is currently in a crisis. The Brazilians have lost two straight games, with their most recent defeat coming on Thursday against Colombia, 2-1. So, both squads could be looking for a win.
