Racism: Is Messi saying something by not saying anything?

Lionel Messi has finally spoken out following Argentina’s shocking loss to Morocco in the ongoing Olympics football tournament, however conveniently remains quiet on Enzo Fernandez controversy.

La Albiceleste, featuring stars like Julian Alvarez, Nicolas Otamendi, and Enzo Fernandez, were favorites going into the competition. However, they faced a stunning 2-0 defeat at the hands of Morocco, with Soufiane Rahimi netting a brace in Saint-Etienne.

Argentina managed to pull one back through Giuliano Simeone in the 68th minute, and Cristian Medina appeared to have equalized in the 106th minute during a chaotic period of extra time. In a bewildering turn of events, the referee added a total of 15 minutes, and Medina’s header seemed to save Argentina. But the drama was far from over.

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The referee suspended the game amidst a hail of firecrackers and bottles thrown by Moroccan players. After a long delay, the teams were called back to the pitch for three more minutes of play, this time without fans.

To the dismay of Argentine supporters, Medina’s goal was disallowed for a marginal offside following a 92-minute-long VAR review. Morocco held on to their narrow lead, securing a controversial victory.

Lionel Messi, visibly frustrated, took to Instagram to vent his anger, writing “Insolito” – meaning “Unbelievable” – and adding a stunned emoji to express his disbelief. Messi, who won Gold at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, was clearly irate about the extraordinary circumstances surrounding the match.

Javier Mascherano, the manager of the Argentina side and Messi’s long-time teammate, didn’t hold back either, calling it “the biggest circus I’ve ever seen in my life.”

Yet, this quick reaction from Messi raises an ironic question:

Why has he remained silent on another significant controversy involving the national team?

Messi’s national teammate and Chelsea midfielder, Enzo Fernandez was recently embroiled in a scandal after allegedly chanting racist slurs at French players following the Copa America final. This of course, led to a lot of debate on social media and even from the French team, with Fernandez’ club teammates picking issues with the Argentine.

Despite the gravity of these allegations, Messi as Argentina captain has not commented on the issue, leaving fans and critics questioning his selective outrage.

Is Messi’s silence on the racist controversy a matter of oversight, or is there a deeper reason behind it?

The 8-time Ballon d’Or winner by virtue of being the face of the national team and Argentina in football, should have released a statement or an apology on behalf of the Argentina team to kill the narratives before things intensified. Does Lionel Messi choosing to stay quiet say something about the former Barcelona star?