Uruguay’s victory over Argentina and Lionel Messi was one to remember. Despite the impressive quality of soccer, the match was filled with altercations. Messi was involved in one such incident and people have been talking about it. A Uruguayan defender gave his account of the controversy-filled match, where he was apparently choked by Lionel Messi.

The incident raised many eyebrows in the world of soccer. What could have led to this incident?

Mathias Olivera recalls his encounter with Lionel Messi

Uruguay left-back Mathias Olivera recently spoke to the El Pais editorial about the match against Argentina. The defender shared his thoughts on marking Lionel Messi. He said, “I tried to control him as best as possible, and depending on where Messi fell, you had to follow him and we made the tilt and the marks well so as not to let him play so much.” It seems the strategy worked, as Messi was not at his influential best.

Furthermore, the Napoli man also touched upon the viral choke during the match. Olivera, who was involved and was choked by the Argentine No. 10, admitted that it was due to a heated discussion but without any disrespect involved.

The Uruguay defender explained, “The play occurs due to an argument in which they push Manu (Manuel Ugarte), and I am obviously always going to defend my team, and I got in the middle.” 

When Argentina’s Rodrigo De Paul got into a scuffle with Uruguay’s Manuel Ugarte, Olivera got involved. Messi then barged in and that eventually led to a choke. All of this took place in the 19th minute and was a result of Nicolas Gonzalez falling to the field after he was hit by a Uruguayan player. This caused the Argentinian players to react.

Read More: After Angry Brawl During Loss, Furious Lionel Messi Demands ‘Respect’ & Tells Young Uruguayans to ‘Learn a Little’

While a lot of tensions were brewing and Lionel Messi did not have the finest match, he did receive a message of appreciation from a Uruguay player.

Luis Suarez sends a message to Messi

Lionel Messi and Suarez have a glorious history between them. The duo were instrumental in winning the 2015 treble. As a result, even after Messi’s fight with his teammates, the Gremio striker posted a warm message for his former teammate.

The message read, “Rivals, but friends too.” Suarez was on the bench as Liverpool striker Darwin Nunez led the line for Uruguay. It looks like El Pistolero’s time on the national team has reached its climax. What do you think?

Was Lionel Messi wrong to fight with Mathias Olivera? Let us know in the comments below.

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