MOSCOW, October 13 Paraguay national team striker Antonio Sanabria denies that he spat at Argentina forward Lionel Messi during the group stage match of the South American qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The third round meeting in Buenos Aires ended with a score of 1:0 in favor of the Argentines. Messi came on as a substitute in the 53rd minute and did not make any impact. In the 84th minute, Sanabria and Messi had a verbal altercation, after which the Paraguayan spat in the direction of the departing Messi. The referee of the meeting did not react to this episode.
“»I watched the video. From that angle it looks like I spat at him, but nothing like that happened. Messi was far away and nothing happened to him. I completely deny the accusations,» Marca quotes Sanabria.
“I didn’t see anything. In the locker room they told me that one of them (the Paraguayans) spat on me,” Messi told his version of events. “I don’t even know who this guy is. Don’t make a big deal out of a mountain.” , then they will talk about it everywhere, and that’s even worse.”
Previously, Messi and Sanabria played in the Spanish La Liga: the Argentine defended the colors of Barcelona, and the Paraguayan played for Sporting Gijon and Betis. Both players are graduates of the “blue garnet”.