The star of Brazil and Real Madrid, right before the 2024 Copa America tournament, spoke about the controversy he had with world champion Lionel Messi during a World Cup qualifying match in 2023. Both players had harsh words in a tense clash between Argentina and Brazil.
These two South American countries are famous for their long-standing rivalry, and the matches between them are often very tense and heated. One such incident happened between Rodrygo and Barcelona legend Messi during an encounter between them last year.
Rodrygo half-joked and half-seriously said that he was forbidden to talk about the altercation with Messi . In this match, neither of them could afford to lose. They took turns letting out harsh words. At that time, La Albiceleste won 1-0 thanks to a goal from Nicolas Otamendi, defeating Brazil at home for the first time in the history of World Cup qualifying.
When asked by the Spanish newspaper Marca about the cause of the altercation with Messi, the Real Madrid star avoided answering the question, saying: “I can’t talk about it. My club doesn’t allow it.” permission”.
Rodrygo and Lionel Messi are likely to revive their rivalry at the upcoming 2024 Copa America. Argentina and Brazil are both bright candidates for the South American championship and will likely face each other in a match that promises to be tense and exciting.
Right before the season, in an interview with Brazilian newspaper Placar, Rodrygo revealed details about the altercation with Messi. The Real Madrid star said that as tension increased during the match, the two called each other bad words and continuously challenged each other.
Rodrygo shared: “Everyone saw what happened, what I said to Messi and vice versa. The Argentinian players wanted to riot and leave the field, forcing us to run and get ready to confront them. At a heated moment in the match, a brawl between the two teams was inevitable.
Messi and I insulted each other and started saying challenging words. The same goes for the other players of the two teams. They are not afraid to fight each other because of their hot heads. After the incident, we are back to normal, no problems. That’s football!”.
Rodrygo and Messi are preparing for the 2024 Copa America as both Brazil and Argentina try to win the continental trophy in the US. Striker Rodrygo enters the Copa America in impressive form after a successful season, winning the UEFA Champions League and the La Liga title. He scored 17 goals and provided 9 assists in 51 matches in all competitions. Meanwhile, Messi, playing in the final Copa America tournament of his career, is also in high form. The Inter Miami star has scored 14 goals and provided 11 assists in 15 matches this season.
