Lionel Messi was seen jawing with Atlanta United defender Junior Alonso after Inter Miami's 2-2 draw in the MLS.
Messi contributed one assist in the 2-2 draw, which caused Inter Miami to lose pace in the standings, now 10 points behind Nashville SC .
This was Messi's first soccer match since the death of his father, and it carried extra emotion with former two-time Messi manager Tata Martino in the opposing team's dugout.
The match got heated in the final few minutes as Miami were looking to score. After Atlanta's goalkeeper saved a Messi shot in stoppage time, Junior Alonso cleared the ball and celebrated the ruined attacking opportunity for Miami by yelling in Messi's face.
Messi confronted Alonso after the game, prompting multiple Atlanta and Miami teammates to get between the pair.
The confrontation reportedly continued down the tunnel as well, with Rodrigo De Paul and Casemiro intervening for Messi, while Atlanta GK Hoyas and Paulo Diaz intervened for Alonso.
Unsurprisingly, the moment never turned physical as Messi likely confronted his opponent to remind him not to be disrespectful while facing him.
Alonso is a 33-year-old Paraguayan defender who joined Atlanta this season after multiple years playing for Brazilian league side Athletico Mineiro.
He also played in Europe towards the end of Messi's career, spending three seasons in Lille from 2017-20, leaving before Messi joined the French league with PSG in 2021.
Messi had a rough game for his standards, considering he scored four goals the last time he played.
Photo by CHANDAN KHANNA / AFP via Getty Images
This was his first competitive football game without his father, arguably the most instrumental man in watching over Messi's career and helping it turn out the way it has.
Reeling from that personal tragedy, Messi looked like the best attacking player on the field in terms of his ability to create chances.
His finishing in front of the goal was sloppy, registering one shot on target out of a total six, with the on-target shot coming in stoppage time anyway.
Hopefully, the 39-year-old can find solace on the pitch and help Miami push on in the final few months of the MLS season.
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