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17th November 2023
09:45am GMT
Fans have labelled Lionel Messi as the "most protected player ever" after he escaped a red card on two separate incidents.
Argentina were beaten 2-0 by Uruguay in their recent World Cup qualifier after goals from Ronald Araujo and Darwin Nunez's secured an unlikely win.
The game was an intense affair in Buenos Aires and Messi was involved in two of those altercations.
Footage appeared to show the Inter Miami star deliver an elbow to Mathias Olivera after he clashed with Messi's teammate, Rodrigo De Paul.
Messi then went on to grab Olivera by the throat as tensions overflowed.
After pushing and shoving between the two parties the referee intervened but opted not to brandish a red card to the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner, which angered fans online.
"Shouldn’t that be a red card for mr Messi with the elbow??" wrote one fan.
A second commented: "This is a red card for any other player in the world but not for FIFA's boy Lionel Messi. The most protected player of all time.
"Not a red card cause his last name is Messi," wrote a third.
Another wrote: "Not the first Time, most protected player ever."
The World Cup winners' defeat was their first of the qualifying campaign.
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