“Kids of today lack respect for elders” — Lionel Messi blasts

Lionel Messi lived the football journey knowing how tense the sport could be, however, according to the Argentina legend, there was always a code of respect among players.

Following the defeat to Uruguay in the fifth round qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup tournament, the former Barcelona star was full of criticisms for the modern generation of stars.

In the heated encounter between both South American teams, tensions flared between Argentina and Uruguay, following the 2-0 victory for Uruguay at La Bombonera.

The match, marked by several altercations, spiraled into controversy following a contentious incident involving Uruguay’s Manuel Ugarte and Argentina’s Rodrigo De Paul.

The clash took a sour turn as Ugarte was captured making an offensive gesture toward De Paul during the heated exchange.

Lionel Messi, captaining his side, reacted to the disrespectful actions exhibited by the Uruguayan players during the intense match.

In his post-match interview relayed via Albiceleste Talk, Messi expressed his discontent, stating,

“I prefer not to say what I think about some gestures. But these young people have to learn to respect their elders. This game was always intense and hard but always with a lot of respect. They have to learn a little bit.”

The game also attracted criticisms on Lionel Messi’s part as the Inter Miami star was seen elbowing and holding the throat of an opponent in the on field bust up.

Liverpool star, Darwin Nunez was on the scoresheet against Argentina after scoring in the 87th minute, minutes from stoppage time to take the game away from the World Champions after Ronald Araujo had opened the scoring.