Argentina drew 1-1 with Colombia last night in a match valid for the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, held at the "Monumental" stadium amid fierce confrontations between players on the green field.
At the press conference after the match, "Albiceleste" coach Lionel Scaloni spoke, explaining why Lionel Messi left the pitch without warning in the 78th minute of the game, writes "Gazeta Express".
"In principle, he shouldn't have left the field, but when he saw that we were making two substitutions, he told me that it would be better if he came on and then I replaced him. Otherwise, he wouldn't have come on. You already know how this works and what I think," Scaloni explained the reason why he took the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner off the field to protect him from injuries.
However, Messi and Scaloni have a good rapport after having played together for Argentina in the past and then jointly achieved historic success in Qatar by winning the World Cup in 2022.
After the game, the Inter Miami footballer was seen exchanging words with Colombian star James Rodriguez, from whom he asked for clarification on why he had said that Argentina had been favored by the referees in the 2024 Copa America final, won against Colombia. /Express newspaper
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