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Argentina star Leandro Paredes has revealed that Lionel Messi was once offended by one of his comments and did not speak to him for months. The incident took place while the Argentine was still in Barcelona.
According to Corriere dello Sport, the incident dates back to a UEFA Champions League Round-of-16 clash between Messi's Barcelona and Paredes's Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) in the 2020-21 season. The Argentine icon's boyhood side lost 5-2 on aggregate over both legs.
During the first leg, PSG beat Barcelona 4-1, with Kylian Mbappe scoring a hat-trick. After the Frenchman's second goal of the night, Leandro Paredes reportedly made a derogatory comment about Barcelona to motivate his teammates. Lionel Messi seemingly heard his words and insulted the Roma star on the pitch and made gestures during the game.
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In an interview with the Italian outlet, Leandro Paredes has recalled how Messi refused to speak to him for three months after the incident, saying (h/t Infobae):
"Messi was offended by a comment I made and didn't speak to me for months. I immediately sent him a message the next day telling him that those sentences were not referring to him. Then I sent him another 15 days later… silence. I wrote to him again: 'It wasn't for you, it wasn't to offend you.' But he never responded: he spent three months without speaking to me again."
However, Paredes also explained how the situation was resolved:
"So we only met for the June matches before the Copa America. So when I arrived at the retreat I thought: 'Now I have to see how he reacts. At one point he showed up in my room while I was brushing my teeth and threw water on me and that was it. We still have a wonderful relationship."
Lionel Messi and Leandro Paredes have shared the pitch on 70 occasions for club and country, recording four joint-goal participations. The duo played together at PSG for two seasons between 2021 and 2023 apart from being compatriots.
"I’ll keep with me for the rest of my life" - When Leandro Paredes recalled Lionel Messi incident after winning the 2022 World Cup with Argentina
In a July 2023 interview with journalist Sofi Martinez Mateos, Roma star Leandro Paredes recalled the first moment he shared with Lionel Messi after winning the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Paredes recalled the duo's hug after La Albiceleste converted the final penalty kick against France to seal their triumph.
"That hug with Messi, I’ll keep with me for the rest of my life. Turning around, seeing him on his knees and being the first to hug him as a world champion was incredible. I yelled at him ‘we are world champions’ and he just told us ‘thank you, thank you, I love you'," Paredes said (via Mundo Albiceleste).
Lionel Messi scored a brace in a 3-3 draw against France in the World Cup final while Kylian Mbappe netted a hat-trick. During the penalty shootout, La Albiceleste beat France 4-2 to seal their historic third World Cup title. Messi won his second Golden Ball in the tournament.
