The 2-1 victory at Arena Corinthians Stadium in the early morning of July 7, Vietnam time, helped Albiceleste feel somewhat comforted after the semi-final defeat. Sergio Aguero and Dybala scored for Argentina in the first half. Arturo Vidal scored from the penalty spot for Chile in the 59th minute.
Lionel Messi continued to leave his mark in this match. He had a quick free kick, helping Aguero open the score. However, the most notable situation was the direct red card he received in the 37th minute.
The collision between Gary Medel and M10 in Chile's penalty area caused both sides to heat up and somewhat provoke each other. Referee Mario Diaz De Vivar did not hesitate to point a straight red card to both players. Even with the additional support of VAR, he kept his decision.
This is the second red card Messi has received in his career. 14 years ago, when he debuted for Albiceleste, he received this penalty in a friendly match against DT Hungary.
Perhaps, having to end the match early in this way prevented Lionel Messi from attending the post-match awards ceremony. After the match ended, the Argentina team went into the tunnel for quite a while before returning to the field. In the medal awarding ceremony for coach Lionel Scaloni and his team, television audiences did not see the presence of Lionel Messi.
In an interview after the match, the Argentine captain could not keep his cool and said: "There is no doubt that the whole tournament is arranged for Brazil."
Messi believes that the red card he received in this match is the price after his statements to the referees after the semi-final.
Messi also said: I dont want to be a part of this chaos, we shouldnt be here. I always tell the truth and be honest. That is what keeps me calm, if what I say has consequences that are not due to previous events.
I think what happened today is because of the words I said after the match against Brazil. Those words may have hurt me. The yellow card should be the end of that situation.
Previously, after Argentina lost 0-2 to host Brazil in the semi-finals, Messi expressed his dissatisfaction with the refereeing.
He spoke somewhat unheard words to the press. He believes that referees should rely on VAR's support in situations where Argentina should have been awarded penalties.
Overall, the progress of this third-place match was broken with many fouls by players from both teams. In addition to the two red cards mentioned above, the main referee also had 8 yellow cards.
