Mexican boxer Saul ‘Canelo’ lvarez has issued a warning to Lionel Messi for insulting Mexico.
“Did you see Messi cleaning the floor with our shirt and flag????” Álvarez tweeted, apparently referencing a video in which Messi appears to kick a Mexico shirt that is on the floor during Argentina’s celebrations in the changing room.
There is no evidence that Messi kicked the jersey on purpose, instead appearing to do it accidently as he removed his football boots.
“He better pray to God that I don’t find him!!” Álvarez added in another tweet, with a series of angry emojis. “Just like I respect Argentina, he has to respect Mexico! I’m not talking about the country as a whole, just about the bulls**t that Messi pulled.”
Argentina defeated Mexico 2-0 on Saturday in Group C of the Qatar World Cup. Messi scored the first goal, and Enzo Fernández clinched the victory late on to keep Argentina’s World Cup dream alive after its devastating first-round defeat to Saudi Arabia.
lvarez, widely regarded as one of the finest pound-for-pound boxers of all time after winning world championships in four weight classes, told a journalist: “It’s one thing them being better than us (in football), it’s another thing to have respect.”
Messi’s former Argentina teammate Sergio Agüero responded to Álvarez on Twitter, saying: “Mr. Canelo, don’t look for excuses or problems, surely you don’t know about football and what happens in a changing room.
“The shirts are always on the floor after games have finished due to sweat and then if you look properly, he makes the movement to remove his boot and accidentally hits it.”
Argentina faces Poland in its last group encounter on Wednesday, while Mexico faces Saudi Arabia, as all four teams in Group C remain in contention for a place in the round of 16.