Rodrigo De Paul Is Embarrassingly ‘Tackled By A Pigeon’ During Argentina’s Copa América Clash

Rodrigo De Paul was planted on his backside during an embarrassing moment where a pigeon 'tackled' him during Argentina's match with Venezuela.

The Udinese star, 25, was attempting to keep hold of the ball as two Venezuelan players tried to close him down.

And the Argentina international found that a pigeon was also in his way as he tried to dribble the ball away.

But the ball rolled over the pigeon, which quickly flew away, while Darwin Machís nudged into De Paul and sent him flying.

Fans have taken to social media to praise the pigeon for its 'defensive' ability on the pitch.

"Argentina have shown encouraging improvement since Rodrigo De Paul was tackled by a pigeon in the first minute," one user wrote on Twitter.

Another tweeted: "A pigeon in this match is a sign that Argentina is winning."

A third added: "I know Argentina's defensive options are poor, but having a pigeon at RB seems a bit drastic."

Someone else wrote: "This pigeon refuses to leave the field, playing defence for Argentina. LOL."

Lionel Scaloni's men took a 1-0 lead into half-time against Venezuela at the Maracanã thanks to a superb backheel finish from Lautaro Martínez.

Will Argentina reach the final of the Copa América?

Let us know in the comments.

Topics: Football News, Football, Venezuela, Argentina, Copa America

Adnan Riaz

Adnan Riaz is a journalist for SPORTbible. He studied for a B.A. in History at the University of York and followed it up with an M.A. in Multimedia Journalism at MMU. Before he started writing about sports, he spent over four years in the gaming press. He has worked for several publications, including Hardcore Gamer, LADbible and the Manchester Evening News. Follow him on Twitter to find out what he is working on next. Got a story tip for Adnan? Email him: [email protected]

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