Lionel Messi aims dig at Raphinha with statement after Argentina's win over Brazil
Brazil were beaten by rivals Argentina on Tuesday night.
Lionel Messi appeared to aim a dig at Raphinha after Argentina's huge win over Brazil.
On Tuesday night, the two South American powerhouses met at the Estadio Monumental in Buenos Aires for a 2026 World Cup qualifier.
Goals from Julian Alvarez, Enzo Fernandez, Alexis Mac Allister and Giuliano Simeone sealed a massive 4-1 win for Argentina. Matheus Cunha was the scorer for the visitors.
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Prior to the match, Brazil star Raphinha made an X-rated comment when speaking about Argentina.
He said: "We are going to play against Argentina, our biggest rival. Now, thank God, without Messi, are we going to beat them?
"We will beat them, no doubt. On and off the pitch, if we have to. F**k them,"
However, the Barcelona man's comments did not age well as Brazil produced a poor performance against their biggest rivals.
Raphinha failed to make a positive impact despite playing the full 90.
Lionel Messi aims dig at Raphinha after Argentina's win over Brazil
After the match, Messi reacted to Argentina's win with a statement which read: "Inside, outside, wherever it may be with this National Team. Always speaking through football.
"Congratulations on the great match you played last night and also on the win against Uruguay."
Meanwhile, Argentina boss Lionel Scaloni stated he will forgive Raphinha, he said: "I forgive Raphinha because I know he didn't do it on purpose, he defends his team and he didn't do it on purpose.
"With or without statements, we would play our game and they would also play theirs. I forgive him because I'm sure he didn't want to offend anyone."
He added: "They are competing. If they feel they are not doing well, they have great players, people who love football and who have not yet seen those Brazilian teams. They will return. I hope not against Argentina, but I am a fan of Brazil."
After their defeat, Brazil are in fourth place in the South American standings, behind the likes of Uruguay, Ecuador and Argentina.
Topics: Lionel Messi, Raphinha, Argentina, Brazil, Football
Marcus Chan