Messi confronts referee: 'Speak to me with respect, as I do to you' (vid)

Lionel Messi, typically composed on the field, experienced a rare moment of intense frustration during the World Cup quarter-final match between Argentina and Switzerland. The Argentinian captain confronted referee João Pedro Pinheiro, losing his cool in the first half after believing the Portuguese official had spoken to him disrespectfully.

The incident occurred as Messi was asked to take up the required distance during a free-kick. Annoyed by the referee's tone, Messi immediately reacted, demanding the same level of respect he felt he showed to match officials. "Speak to me with respect. Don't be disrespectful! Speak to me properly, as I speak to you!" Messi was heard saying.

This verbal exchange was captured by television cameras and quickly became a topic of discussion on social media, given the rarity of such outbursts from the usually reserved superstar.

Earlier in the match, during a cooling break, one of the team doctors was seen cleaning a cut near Messi's eye, indicating he may have sustained an injury during the game. The exact circumstances of the injury were not detailed in the report.

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Speak to me with respect. Don't be disrespectful! Speak to me properly, as I speak to you!