Referee's Controversial Decision to Protect Messi in Copa America Resurfaces Amid World Cup Discussions
Referee's Remarkable Choice During Copa America
In the wake of the recent 2026 World Cup, where Argentina, the defending champions, faced a narrow 1-0 loss to Spain at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, discussions surrounding refereeing decisions and alleged favoritism towards Messi have emerged. An intriguing comment from referee Carlos Chandia has resurfaced, shedding light on a past incident where he refrained from issuing a yellow card to Messi to ensure his participation in the final. This event dates back to the 2007 Copa America, marking Messi's second significant international tournament with Argentina.
During the semi-final match, which Argentina won decisively 3-0 against Mexico, Chandia revealed in a past interview that Messi, then just 20 years old, should have received a yellow card just before the match concluded. Had he been booked, Messi would have missed the final against Brazil. Chandia opted not to penalize him, prioritizing Argentina's chances in the final. He recounted, “Out of nowhere, Messi lifts a ball and touches it with his hand, but in the middle of the pitch. There was no goal-scoring chance for the Mexican team or anything like that. So, I told him: 'This is a yellow card, but it will cost you your jersey,' and I didn’t show him the yellow card. There were two-and-a-half minutes left, and the score was 3-0. Showing him a yellow card would have taken away his chance of playing in the Copa America final.”
Chandia further shared that Messi later gifted him his jersey in the dressing room, a gesture that highlighted their mutual respect. “He gave me the shirt in the dressing room afterwards. In fact, he wanted to take it off on the pitch and I told him: 'No, no, no, no; take it to the dressing room'. And he came to the dressing room with the jersey and left it there for me,” he added.
In that final, Argentina faced Brazil but unfortunately lost 3-0. This match marked Messi's first international final, and he had to wait 14 years to secure his first major international title, which he achieved in 2021, ironically in the Copa America against Brazil at the iconic Maracana Stadium.