Lionel Messi advised specific Uruguayan players to “learn respect” in response to a vulgar gesture made by Manuel Ugarte towards Rodrigo De Paul.

Thursday evening witnessed a tumultuous 2026 World Cup qualification match between the South American rivals at the La Bombonera stadium of Boca Juniors. Argentina was defeated in a dramatic 2-0 loss in that match, the Albiceleste suffering their first setback since winning a global championship in Qatar in 2022.

There were several pivotal moments in the match, including goals from Ronald Araujo and Darwin Nunez for the visitors. In particular, Ugarte and De Paul engaged in a struggle in the first half. Messi’s “bottle feeder” was the World Cup-winning De Paul, according to the Uruguayan midfielder, who also made an offensive gesture. As a result, players from both teams engaged in an unattractive altercation.

When subsequently queried by reporters regarding the incident, Messi responded, “It’s normal. These types of contests, qualifiers, are consistently the same against Uruguay. It is my preference to refrain from expressing my thoughts. Youth must develop the ability to show reverence for their seniors. This classic was consistently rigorous and challenging, yet it was always approached with great reverence. They are in need of some basic education.”

Messi further expressed his thoughts on the match, during which Argentina trailed 0-1 at the end of the first half and conceded a second goal in the 87th minute: “We never felt at ease. They are an effective physical team that posed a significant threat on the counterattack. It was our turn to lose today. Such is the case. In Brazil, we must regain our composure and perform an outstanding game.”

On Tuesday, Argentina will resume play against archrivals Brazil. They will remain in first position in the CONMEBOL qualification table heading into that match, ahead of Uruguay by two points. In contrast, Brazil, who are inconsistent, are in fifth place.