3 times Lionel Messi lost his cool on the pitch

Lionel Messi is considered one of the greatest players of all time. There is little to argue against given that he has won a record six Ballon d'Or awards. Add to that, he is the all-time highest La Liga goalscorer with 474 goals and has won a whopping 34 trophies with Barcelona. The diminutive player joined Barcelona as a 13-year-old boy and recently left for PSG after 21 years. It was an emotional farewell.

His goal scoring pedigree has been associated with a wicked left foot like no other, dazzling the world with his dribbles and opening up defenses at will. Some of his most iconic moments have come from what may be perceived to be his 'weaker' attributes. Do you recall the moment he scored in the 2007 Copa del Rey semi-finals against Getafe? He dribbled past four players, including the goalkeeper, to slot home with his right foot.

Or maybe you remember that delightful takedown he had against Nigeria during the 2018 FIFA World from a lobbed pass to move past a defender and score emphatically past the goalkeeper. Manchester United fans can certainly remember the dagger through their hearts in the 2009 Champions League final. A 5"7 Messi rose to plant a header past towering Edwin van der Sar.

Those moments are a testament to his ability to change the outcome of a match and how great a player he is. He has always been one to remain calm in appearance but aggressive in performance. Rarely would you see Messi locked into fights and unnecessary confrontations with other players. He would let his football do the talking for him. However, there are moments when he has gotten out of character with the whole world watching. Here are 3 such instances.

#3 Red card vs Hungary

Messi was sent off when he was 18 on his senior international debut.

It was on August 17, 2005 at the Ferenc Puskas Stadium when he saw the first red card of his professional career. At the tender age of 18, he was making his senior debut for Argentina against Hungary. Messi had just come into the match as a substitute in the 60th minute.

Barely a minute into the encounter, he was tangled up with defender Vilmos Vanczák. He apparently smacked the defender in the face after Vanczák appeared to have been pulling Leo's shirt in an attempt to stop the Argentinian. Needless to say, that incident in the first match for La Albiceleste didn't deter him from going on to be their all-time leading scorer with 76 goals.

#2 Spitting incident

Messi and Duda enjoyed battles over the years.

It is no secret that players do get frustrated in matches, particularly when they are the target of fouls and nudges from the opposition. Someone like Messi would be an obvious target in every match because even when given even a little bit of room, he can cause problems offensively. In a 2008 league match against Malaga, Messi had been running rings around Malaga's defender, Duda. The Malaga player did not take kindly to the footballing humiliation and kept making dirty tackles to stop Messi. In return, Leo himself lost his call. The Argentine appeared on video spitting in disgust in the direction of his opponent.

#1 Red card vs Chile

Chile and Argentina were locked in a third-place playoff during the 2019 Copa America. A vicious confrontation ensued in the 36th minute with Chilean defender Gary Medel, with both men sent off and the incident confirmed by a VAR review. The duo got too close to each other and started pushing each other, with none willing to back away. Messi also received some backlash after allegedly criticizing the whole tournament for favoritism to Brazil.