Brazilian national team forward Rodriguez (Real Madrid) has complained of being the target of racism on social media after an altercation with the “God of Soccer” Lionel Messi (Inter Miami).
“There are always racists,” he wrote on Instagram on Nov. 23 (local time). They invaded my social media with insults and bullshit,” he wrote on Instagram.
“If we don’t behave the way they want us to, if we don’t keep our heads down when they attack us, racists commit criminal acts,” he said, adding, “I wish them bad luck. We will not stop,” he added.
Hodriguez got into an altercation with Messi during a South American qualifying match for the 2026 North and Central American World Cup against “South American rivals” Argentina on Nov. 21 that turned into an unexpected bloodbath.
The match at the Maracanã Main Stadium in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, was disrupted before kickoff when fans from both teams clashed in the stands, delaying kickoff by 27 minutes.
Fans wearing both national jerseys clashed during the national anthem, with some spectators vandalizing and throwing chairs.
Brazilian police, who were called in to disperse the clashes, wielded truncheons and hit spectators, and a fan was seen lying on the ground bleeding.
Seeing what was happening, Messi and other Argentine players left the field and went into the locker room, only to emerge a short time later.
While the game was eventually played, it was not without emotion, with Hodriguez getting into a heated exchange with Argentina’s soccer hero, Messi.
According to Argentine media outlets TycSport and the Daily Mail, Hodriguez initially got into an argument with Rodrigo DePaul (Atletico Madrid), but when Messi intervened, he switched sides.
When Hodriguez called Messi a “coward,” Messi responded by saying, “We’re world champions, why should we be afraid,” according to the Daily Mail.
Hodriguez was born in 2001, making him 14 years younger than Messi, who was born in 1987.
Earlier in the day, veteran defender Nicolas Otamendi (Benfica) scored the winning goal 18 minutes into the second half to give Argentina a 1-0 victory.
Messi said after the game: “It was a great win in Maracanã. This game will go down in history as a repression against Argentina in Brazil,” he said, emphasizing that “it’s unacceptable, it’s crazy, and it has to end.” 슬롯