(VIDEO) The Paraguay player's excuse after he spit at Leo Messi in Argentina

Lionel Messi entered the variant in the match that the Argentina National Team beat Paraguay by the slightest difference, with a goal from Nicolás Otamendi, within the framework of the South American Qualifiers towards the 2026 World Cup. The Argentine number 10 had a clash with Tonny Sanabria and on camera you can see how he spit at him.

Lionel Messi referred to the issue and at a press conference mentioned: “The truth is that I didn't see it, they told me there in the locker room that one of them had spit on me. The truth is I don't even know who this guy is. "I didn't see him, they told me later, but I don't want to give it importance either because he's going to go out and talk everywhere and it's worse, he's going to become known and it's better to leave him there."

Regarding his performance with the Argentina National Team, entering the change, Lionel Messi said: “I am happy to be able to add minutes and to be able to play with the National Team. I feel good, I was able to add training and minutes, I had played little in my club, but today I played again and little by little I started to feel good. It's beautiful every time we play at home. “I'm also happy with how the game went.”

“I think the team did a great job today. It is always difficult to play in the Qualifiers, they are very tight and tough games against Paraguay. In the first half the team did a great job and we had many scoring chances and they only scored once. We had a great performance, we always give our best regardless of the results and from the game we always try and propose with the same idea. Today was a tough game where there were few spaces and yet everything was generated a lot. We have been doing the same thing for quite some time," added Lionel Messi.

Tonny Sanabria, at a press conference, gave the excuse that the camera angle was not favorable, but he never wanted to spit on Lionel Messi. “They are party things. The image came to me and it seems that I spit it out, but to no avail. He was far away. It happens that the image is taken from behind and it looks like that, but nothing to see. "I deny it."