Lionel Messi ended one of the most ill-tempered World Cup finals in history by trying to get Marc Cucurella sent off – a moment that poured shame and ridicule on his astonishing legacy, according to Jeremy Cross of the Mirror. As Argentina went down fighting against Spain, the footballing genius who had defied age and smashed Miroslav Klose's scoring record used his interaction with Cucurella to even the scores.
Cucurella could be seen attempting to communicate with Messi with his hand over his mouth – just a couple of fingers. So Messi reported him to Slovenian referee Slavko Vincic. The incident came immediately after Enzo Fernandez's red card for a second yellow card for his foul on Pau Cubarsi, as players surrounded the official. "In that one instance, Messi turned himself into a petulant child. You know the one, when he goes running to the teacher when another kid has stamped on his conker in the school playground," Cross wrote. "If this particular FIFA rule is absurd in the first place, then seeing someone of Messi's standing trying to use it to his advantage, is nothing short of shameful, embarrassing and humiliating."
“Messi reported Cucurella to referee after Argentina's World Cup final defeat, sparking criticism as Otamendi and Rodri argued.”
Messi has lit up this World Cup, leading Argentina to back-to-back finals and threatening to win the Golden Boot. But in defeat, he showed he cannot accept losing – and his self-respect and dignity were diminished. "Time has proved that even the true greats are also flawed. And Messi has now added his name to that long list," Cross added.
The bad blood did not end at the final whistle. After the match, tensions spilled over between former Manchester City team-mates Nicolas Otamendi and Rodri, with the Standard reporting that the pair argued. "No love lost between former Manchester City team-mates," the publication noted.
If this does prove to be Messi's last World Cup, one of his final acts will be remembered with huge sadness – a petulant child running to the teacher while his team-mates brawled in the aftermath.