Argentina’s 3–0 victory against Venezuela on Thursday night was an emotional affair, with La Albiceleste fans witnessing what was likely Lionel Messi’s last competitive match on home soil.
It was a night to remember at the Estadio Monumental, with Messi bagging a brace in his final World Cup qualifier match—he’s already confirmed he won’t play against Ecuador next Tuesday.
The game also saw Franco Mastantuono get his first-ever start for Argentina. The 18-year-old Real Madrid star flanked Messi in attack and looked sharp overall. However, there was a play in the first half where Mastantuono got in Messi’s way and denied him of a clear opportunity to fire a shot.
It was a piece of miscommunication between the two players, but Messi was clearly frustrated following the action. After the match, Mastantuono was asked about the incident and the Real Madrid player couldn’t hide his regret in a funny exchange.
“Yeah, he wanted to kill me,” Mastantuono said laughing. ”But he understood and I said I was sorry for the play.”
Mastantuono recently admitted he considers Messi to be the greatest player of all time, a common thing to say for an Argentinian but just as uncommon for a Real Madrid player. Following the match against Venezuela, the former River Plate man couldn’t hide his happiness after sharing the pitch with Messi.
“It was incredible to play alongside him. It truly was the dream of my life. To be able to play with him today, at River’s [River Plate] pitch no-less, it’s something incredible.”
“He’s my idol since I was a little kid. I watched him his whole career growing up. Today, seeing him be able to bid farewell like this is what he deserved and what we all wanted to see.”
Messi made it clear he still doesn’t know if he’ll feature for Argentina in the 2026 FIFA World Cup next summer. If he does, though, it’s very likely he’ll once again share the pitch with Mastantuono.
The Real Madrid youngster is one of the most exciting young talents in the sport and he could very well eventually become the heir to Messi’s No. 10 shirt with La Albiceleste.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as ‘Wanted to Kill Me’—Real Madrid Star Hilariously Reveals Minor Spat With Lionel Messi.