Argentina has managed to secure qualification for the Copa America knockouts. But the match turned out to be way harder than they expected. Chile offered a lot of resistance and it took an 88th-minute winner from Lautaro Martinez to seal the match. Amidst all of this, Argentina captain Lionel Messi did not look happy. In fact, La Pulga’s heated discussion with the referee is doing the rounds.

As per footage on X, Lionel Messi can be seen in an angry mood with the match referee. He had reportedly said, “Won’t you charge me for any violations?.“This is a reference to the referee refusing to blow fouls for the challenges against the Argentine playmaker. He also added, “What will you give? yellow card? Are you going to fire me? huh?” It seems Messi does not fear the threat of a send-off!

To put it simply, Lionel Messi was not at his mesmerizing best today. Although he created 5 chances and dictated the game, the finishing touch was missing. In fact, he had a surprising 0 shots on target! But Messi did take the corner that led to Martinez’s goal.

Up next for Argentina is the match against Peru on June 30th. For manager Lionel Scaloni, it is evident that something needs to change. Midfielder Enzo Fernandez, who was on the bench last game did not look assured today. The same can be said for Julian Alvarez, whose place is under threat after the impressive form of Lautaro Martinez. But, they are not the only players whose places are in question. In fact, even Lionel Messi’s performances in the Copa have come under immense scrutiny.

Colombian legend said that Lionel Messi is at a ‘different level’ now than before

Sebastian Salazar of the ESPN FC Show believes that the MLS had a big role in La Pulga’s recent displays. He explained, “He is now at a very different level and he’s been in Major League Soccer for over a year now. And you’re saying he’s missing chances that he usually wouldn’t. Is that down to where he plays?.” The MLS is not as physically demanding as the European leagues, where Lionel Messi dazzled.

His co-pundit Shaka Hislop too said, “Possibly, you can see that as being a factor. But then you take a game or two to get back into top speed.” However, Hislop did add that Lionel Messi will be back to peak performance soon. If Argentina wants to defend their Copa title, then it is imperative that La Pulga should be at his best.