'You're a coward!' - What Lionel Messi said to referee in furious tirade during shock Argentina defeat to Paraguay - revealed

Argentina went down 2-1 against Paraguay on Thursday in a 2026 CONMEBOL World Cup qualifying game despite taking an early lead courtesy of Lautaro Martinez's strike. La Albiceleste's skipper had a night to forget as he hardly made any impact in the game and was even seen losing his temper while speaking to the referee.

Messi was visibly angry at halftime as he confronted referee Daronco and pointed his finger at the official to express his frustration. Now in a video released by SBS Sport, the Inter Miami star can be heard saying, "You're a coward, I don't like you!"

It has been a difficult month for the 37-year-old as he failed to fulfil his wish of winning the MLS Cup 2024 after bagging the Supports' Shield. The Herons did take the lead in the three-game Round One fixture, however, Atlanta United beat them twice in a span of seven days to prevent them from qualifying for the playoffs round.

With their MLS journey coming to a halt, Messi will play one last time in a competitive fixture in 2024 on Wednesday as they take on Peru at home.