Lionel Messi Receives Second Red Card of His Career Ove Altercation With Gary Medel
Written by SOURCE on July 7, 2019
Lionel Messi was sent off for the second time of his career Saturday, following a scuffle with Chilean midfielder Gary Medel.
The altercation occurred during the first half of the 2019 Copa America third-place play-off, while Argentina was up 2-0. Replays show the athletes chasing a ball that was headed out of bounds, before Messi gave Mendal a slight nudge at around the 40-minute mark. This prompted Mendel to throw his shoulder into Messi, and a shoving match quickly ensued with other players getting involved. Referee Mario Diaz determined the two athletes were equally at fault in the clash and raised the red card twice.
You can check out the altercation below.
The decision sparked outrage among many fans, who believed Messi’s ejection was unwarranted as he was seen absorbing most of the hits and putting his arms in the air to show he had stopped retaliating.
Messi received his first red card back in 2005, during his international debut against Hungary.
