Lionel Messi found himself at the center of another World Cup moment after a hilarious exchange with Portuguese referee João Pinheiro during Argentina’s quarter-final win over Switzerland on Saturday. This happened in the first half of Argentina’s 3-1 win at the Kansas City Stadium, prompting the defenders to enter the FIFA World Cup the semifinals, where they will face England in Atlanta. The challenge came as Switzerland was preparing to take a free-kick. Messi, standing on the wall in Argentina’s defence, appeared to be frustrated by Pinheiro’s instructions to get back the necessary distance before being tackled. Television cameras captured the brief but tense exchange, with the Argentinian manager exchanging words with the umpire. Images of the incident quickly went viral on social media, becoming one of the biggest talking points at the game despite Argentina’s victory. The match started well for Lionel Scaloni’s side. Just 10 minutes later, Messi delivered a corner from the left that Alexis MacAllister headed home to give Argentina the lead. The opening period was highly contested, with both teams fighting for dominance in the midfield and creating few clear chances. Argentina took their narrow advantage until Switzerland responded immediately after the restart. Dan Ndoye brought Switzerland level with a good one-two on the edge of the box, although Emiliano Martínez had already made two crucial saves to preserve Argentina’s lead. Switzerland’s hopes were dealt a major blow in the 72nd minute when Breel Embolo received a second yellow card following a simulated VAR review, reducing his team to 10 men. Argentina took the lead when they had a chance on the counter and almost got the winner late on, Gregor Kobel powerfully denying Lisandro Martínez’s bicycle kick. The win came in extra time when Julián Álvarez cut inside from the left and curled a superb strike into the top corner to restore Argentina’s lead. Lautaro Martínez then finished off the contest, making a quick comeback after a quick attack to make it 3-1 and seal Argentina’s passage to the last four. The win extended Argentina’s streak of 15 consecutive FIFA World Cup appearances, one of the longest in the history of the game, as Scaloni’s side continued their quest for back-to-back World Cup titles.
