Yeferson Soteldo recently shared details about his tense exchange with Lionel Messi after the 1-1 draw between Argentina and Venezuela in the South American World Cup Qualifiers.

The incident occurred in the 93rd minute when the two players had a brief confrontation that quickly escalated. According to Soteldo, Messi initiated the discussion, frustrated with the state of the pitch and how the match unfolded.

During the exchange, Messi tried to calm things down by placing his hand on Soteldo, which led the Venezuelan player to push his hand away.

The altercation drew attention on the field and required intervention from other players, including Nicolás Otamendi and Nahuel Ferraresi, to prevent the situation from worsening.

After the match, Soteldo clarified that he did not say anything provocative to Messi, but instead gestured for him to take the situation more seriously. According to Soteldo, it was Messi who continued talking, while he focused on the game.

“Messi? I didn’t say anything to him. I just brushed him off to get him to be serious; he was the one who wouldn’t stop talking,” the Pachuca player revealed.

The incident didn’t escalate further, but it was widely discussed on social media and in the media, especially given the intense nature of both players during the final moments of the match.