Atlas FC star Matías Cóccaro has revealed what he did to provoke Lionel Messi during Inter Miami's 2-1 win in the Leagues Cup.
Inter Miami survived a scare against the Mexican side in the first round of the Leagues Cup, with Messi assisting a 96th-minute winner for the MLS club.
Messi had also provided the assist for Inter Miami's first goal, but it was what the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner did after the winner that caught fans' attention.
Following Marcelo Weigandt's late winner, Messi appeared to target Cóccaro by violently celebrating in the forward's face.
The 27-year-old Uruguayan addressed the incident after the match, and revealed it was his own celebration for Atlas' equaliser that provoked the former Barcelona star.
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"Right after we scored the equalizer, I started motivating my teammates, we were going for the second goal, that's why I celebrated like that..." He told reporters.
"Then Inter Miami scored again and Messi came to celebrate right in my face, full of emotion."
He added: "And what can I say? I had to stay quiet... I mean, he’s the greatest of all time. You can’t say anything back."
Cóccaro also confirmed there was no bad blood between the pair, and revealed Messi apologised to him at full-time and even offered his shirt to the Atlas man.
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"After the game, he came over, hugged me, and apologized. He was really sorry... That says a lot about who he is as a player," he continued.
"When someone like Messi speaks to you, you just have to listen. I have nothing but respect for the best in history."
What Lionel Messi said at full-time
Messi also spoke after the game and confirmed he is feeling good despite missing the MLS All-Star Game due to fatigue.
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"The truth is that it was difficult with the heat, and not having played the other day. Even if [the rest] seems better, for me it's worse because I need to compete," Messi said after the match.
"I feel good physically the more matches I play and get into rhythm.
"The other day they didn't let me compete, and I felt it in the first half, but the important thing is that we won."
Topics: Lionel Messi, Inter Miami, Football, MLS
Tom Jenkins