20 December 2023 , 23:23
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Lionel Messi was left furious by Argentinian teammate Alejandro "Papu" Gomez over comments he made toward his wife during the 2022 World Cup, it has been revealed.
The confrontation occurred during Argentina's famous Qatar run, which saw the 36-year-old lead the country to its third World Cup win. On the program "A La Tarde" on Tartu TV, a panelist shared that they heard comments Gomez made to Messi's wife, Antonela Roccuzzo, which noticeably dampened the mood in the locker room.
"This man is a daring man," the panelist said. "Locker room, I don't know exactly in which match, if it was in the match against the Netherlands.
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"Everyone is happy because they passed, everyone in the locker room starts to sing. What does Alejandro El Papu say? 'Hand over Antonela!'" the panelist said. "Imagine Messi's laser eyes ... Immediate red card!"
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Although Messi has yet to acknowledge the validity of these comments, this is not the first time rumours swirled around the 36-year-old's wife or his relationship with his spouse. In late November, a Brazilian outlet alleged that the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner had an affair with an Argentine journalist, with the family facing the "biggest crisis" of their marriage.
The rumours were further stoked after Messi gave the journalist an apparent "look" when he was awarded the Ballon d'Or. This journalist in question also went viral for giving an impassioned speech to motivate Messi and the rest of the Argentinian team to win the World Cup in Qatar.
Lionel Messi and his wife Antonella Roccuzzo had been the target of harsh comments from an Argentinian teammate. (Photo by Sylvain Lefevre/Getty Images)However the wild accusation was quickly squashed when Daniella Semaan, the wife of Messi's former teammate Cesc Fabregas, went on Instagram to strike down any rumours aimed at Messi and his wife.
"What publication is this that has no meaning... and has nothing right," she wrote in Messi and Roccuzzo's defense. Semaan and Fabregas often go on holiday with Messi and his family, so it stands to reason why they are protective of their friends.
Messi and Roccuzzo have known each other since they were very young and were childhood sweethearts. Roccuzzo is the cousin of Messi's childhood best friend, Lucas Scaglia and the two had been in a relationship since 2009 and were married in 2017.
The couple have three children together: Thiago, who was born in 2012; Mateo, who was born in 2015; and their youngest, Ciro, was born in 2018. It remains to be seen how the football legend will respond to the latest comments about his wife as he prepares for the start of the 2024 MLS preseason.