“Fight it out”, “Whenever you want” - When Lionel Messi and Edinson Cavani clashed with each other during heated Argentina v Uruguay match
Lionel Messi once clashed with Edinson Cavani and other Uruguay players. This happened when the two teams faced each other in a friendly on November 18, 2019. The match ended in a 2-2 stalemate, with Messi, Sergio Aguero, Edinson Cavani, and Luis Suarez getting on the scoresheet.
South American international matches are infamous for their fierce competition and hostile environment for the visiting sides. Therefore, on-field aggression during games is a common sight. While Lionel Messi is good friends with Uruguayan veteran Luis Suarez, the feelings seemingly didn't extend to the latter's strike partner Edinson Cavani during this particular game.
Messi had to endure a plethora of fouls by the opposition, and a challenge from Matias Vecino resulted in Cavani asking the Ballon d'Or winner to "fight it out."
"Whenever you want," Messi responded.
Although the situation was temporarily handled by players like Diego Godin, reports claim that the tirade continued in the tunnel during half-time. Cavani addressed the skirmish with Messi in an interview after the game. He said (as quoted by talkSPORT):
"It's part of football, Clasicos are like this. The truth is that it was at times a game that had friction, there were challenges and things that are part of football, especially of South American [football]. We take positives from our performance and the fact that we were able to score two goals. We still need to improve but it's good to end the year like this."
Lionel Messi boasts an impressive record against Uruguay. He has faced the side 13 times in his career, winning eight and losing three games. The remaining two have resulted in stalemates. He has also registered six goals and three assists against the nation.
Lionel Messi left out of the Argentina squad after picking up injury during Inter Miami game
Lionel Messi's Argentina will face Uruguay again in the upcoming international break — World Cup Qualification CONMEBOL — on Friday (March 21). However, the talismanic Argentine will not be available to help his side after he failed to make the final roster that was released on Monday (March 17).
As per reports, Lionel Messi picked up a muscle injury during Inter Miami's game against Atlanta United on Sunday (March 16). In the 63rd minute, he felt a slight discomfort in his right adductor after taking a shot. Scans the next morning confirmed that Messi had picked up a slight muscle injury, thereby ruling him out of the upcoming qualifiers.
Apart from Messi, La Albiceleste will also miss the services of Paulo Dybala, Giovani Lo Celso, and Gonzalo Montiel in their upcoming qualifiers. At present, they are at the top of the table with 25 points in 12 games.
