Argentina's Losing Streak Grows with 2-1 Defeat to Paraguay

Argentina suffered a surprising 2-1 loss to Paraguay in the World Cup qualifying match at Estadio Defensores del Chaco, putting the South American giant on its third defeat in the qualifiers. The setback for Lionel Messi and Argentina comes on the heels of Lautaro Martinez scoring an early goal for Argentina.

However, despite struggling in the match itself, Messi was at the center of controversy when he faced repeated tough tackles from Paraguay defender Alderete. When his complaints to referee Anderson Daronco were ignored, he reportedly called the referee a “coward”, which has sparked debate on social media.

The second incident led to a confrontation between Messi and rival fans, who threw bottles in his direction during a corner kick. Some of the spectators were heard calling him a “shi**y dwarf”. Alderete subsequently issued an apology to Messi on social media platforms.