"Expect the referee to report the behavior" - Ex-referee claims Lionel Messi likely to receive punishment for antics in recent Argentina loss 

Ex-referee Keith Hackett has claimed that Lionel Messi could be punished for his antics at half-time during Argentina's 2-1 loss to Paraguay on November 14. The Argentine captain was visibly frustrated at the referee's decision to not give a yellow card to Omar Alderete despite his pleas.

Lionel Messi was fouled five times (as per SofaScore) in the entire game during Argentina's clash against Paraguay. La Pulga was spotted complaining about the hard tackles to referee Anderson Daronco, demanding a yellow card for Omar Alderete. Daronco, however, rejected his pleas, leading to the Argentine losing his calm.

According to a video by SBS Sport, Messi confronted the referee at half-time, saying:

"You're a coward, I don't like you!"

According to an exclusive report by Football Insider, former referee Keith Hackett believes Lionel Messi could be punished for his antics during the match. He said (via Football Insider):

"[Should we expect action?] Yep. There’s no question that he might be annoyed by the referee’s performance, but he can’t do that. Therefore, I’d expect the referee to report the behavior, then the authorities to take that on board. Certainly, in Europe, that’d be a special incident report, and the authorities would then act.”

Earlier this year in September, Messi's teammate, Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez, was banned for two World Cup qualifier games (Venezuela and Bolivia) by FIFA. The action came after the keeper's offensive behavior on the pitch during the fixtures against Chile and Colombia.

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"I want to apologize on behalf of my country" - Paraguay star Omar Alderete apologized to Lionel Messi after fans threw a bottle at him

Sanabria and Messi (L to R) - Source: Getty

During Argentina's 2-1 loss against Paraguay, fans from the stands threw a bottle at Lionel Messi when he attempted to take a corner. Clips of the incident went viral online. Some fans also allegedly used the derogatory phrase "sh*tty drawf" for the Argentine icon.

Shortly after the game, Paraguay star Omar Alderete took to Instagram to apologize to Lionel Messi for his countrymen's actions. He wrote:

“Dear Leo Messi, I want to apologize on behalf of my country for the unfortunate incident in which someone threw a bottle at you. You are an idol for millions here and around the world (especially for Fede). We deeply regret this disrespectful act that does not represent the affection and admiration we feel for you."

Omar Aldaerete notably scored Paraguay's second goal in the match (47') to give them the 2-1 lead. His goal came after Lautaro Martinez's strike in the 11th minute was canceled out by Antonia Sanabria finding the net (19') before half-time.