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Argentina stars Lionel Messi and Rodrigo De Paul were in action on Thursday as the reigning world champions lost 2-0 at home to Uruguay, ending their iconic run. The first half of the encounter saw a moment of altercation, including an obscene gesture from Uruguay midfielder Manuel Ugarte.
The match was physical and full of contact, with both sets of players having a go at each other. Ugarte shielded his defense expertly, using the dark arts when he needed to and showing the qualities that made PSG sign him.
As the first half neared its halfway point, Lionel Messi was in full flow as he weaved his way past challenges to get into a shooting position. Ugarte bumped into him, sending him crashing to the turf and giving away a free-kick.
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As Messi remained seated on the floor, Rodrigo De Paul rushed to confront Ugarte, leading to a tussle between the two players. The Uruguayan midfielder made an X-rated gesture that likened Rodrigo De Paul's defense of his captain to being a c**k-s****r.
Fans noticed this and took to X to share their views on the PSG man and how he managed to rattle the Argentine team.
Uruguay has now inflicted defeats on Argentina and Brazil in successive 2026 CONMEBOL FIFA World Cup qualifiers. Under Marcelo Bielsa, the team looks like the real deal and will look to continue their excellent form against Bolivia on Wednesday.
Lionel Messi, Rodrigo De Paul fail to shine against Uruguay
Argentina looked slightly off-color against Uruguay at home on Thursday. The Uruguayans were full of running and boundless energy while staying compact at the back and preventing Argentina from getting any easy looks.
Lionel Messi had a largely quiet evening for the world champions, hardly getting a chance to show his otherworldly quality on the ball. Rodrigo De Paul was also nullified, with the Uruguayans only happy for him to receive the ball in the middle third as they worked hard in their own third.
Argentina faced its first FIFA World Cup qualifiers defeat since 2017, ending a run of six years. Lionel Messi and Rodrigo De Paul will need to pick themselves up and brace themselves for the next match against eternal rivals Brazil.
Brazil has not won in three attempts, having last done so on the opening match day of the qualifiers. They will be keen to pick up all three points on offer and will put up a fight against Argentina.
