Messi and his most hostile night in Mexico: boos, teasing on TV, shouting for Cristiano and what Ortiz said about the crossing

It was a night to forget that he experienced Lionel Messi next to InterMiami during his visit to Nuevo León, in Mexico. The number 10 was once again a starter, now recovered from his injury, to face Rayados of Monterrey, but there was little he could do. Las Garzas lost 3-1 on Mexican soil and are far from dreaming of overturning the series (they had fallen 2-1 in the first leg) only to end up eliminated in the quarter-finals. Concacampioni.

But beyond what happened on the pitch, where the Argentine star did not show his best version, Messi’s game had many extra-football spices. It is well known that the relationship between the Mexican public and Leo has never been the best.

So the Monterrey fans tried to make things difficult for him and to make the Argentine angry: he was received in the middle of a hostile climatefull of boos, insults and, for example, applause in favor Cristiano Ronaldo. Furthermore, the spicy confrontation that broke out in the period preceding the first leg against the Argentine coach resurfaced. Fernando “el Tano” Ortiz.

Since arriving in North America, Leo knew how to be the center of attention in every stadium he visited. On many occasions the stands were full of people thanks to the Argentine fans who bought a ticket to see him live. However there is always a first time. And in Mexico it happened. The phenomenon occurred on the contrary at the Monterrey stadium, where They tried to make him feel the penalty from the first minute.

Messi’s every intervention with the ball was the cause of a deafening whistle from the stands.. Even when the voice from the stadium announced the lineup of Inter Miami and mentioned Leo, the boos also appeared. Forgotten are the few who tried to high-five the man from Rosario when he came out of the tunnel to warm up on the playing field.

At half-time, with the 1-0 in favor of the locals, the Mexican public once again showed the resentment they hold towards Leo chanting Cristiano Ronaldo’s name as the teams headed to the locker rooms.

But that wasn’t all. The songs against Messi continued until after the match. At the end of the series, from many parts of the stadium the following was unanimously heard: “Messi doesn’t care…, Messi doesn’t care…“. Then, at the end of the match, as the fans left the field, from the corridors they chanted: “He was afraid, Messi was afraid…“.

Also numerous fans, who again near the BBVA Stadium, celebrated Monterrey’s passage to the semi-finals by celebrating with the famous “Siu”, a celebration patented by Ronaldo which he performs in every one of his goals.

On the local network that broadcast the match they also made fun of the Argentine. One commentator wondered if Martino had put it in the headlines “because he hadn’t seen it”, and claimed: “They sold me to an angry Messi, who would come to score two or three goals, which Inter Miami was the best team in the world.” continent… where is Messi? Oh, on the way to the airport back to Miami.”

Why does Mexico show so much resentment against Leo? The defeat against Monterrey It was his first fall against a Mexican team in his entire career. He defeated Atlantean with Barcelona (3-1) in the 2009 Club World Cup ea Blue Cross (2-1) in his debut last year with Inter Miami.

Moreover, It was Mexico’s first elimination of Messi, both at club and national level. The number 10 was present in the 2006, 2010 and 2022 World Cup duels, all in favor of Argentina, and the paternity was also maintained in the Copa América. The freshest precedent occurred in Qatar, when a left-footed strike from the former Barcelona and PSG player meant the rise of Scaloni’s team and the elimination of the Aztecs in the group stage.

Messi-Ortiz: tension throughout the series

Hostility wasn’t the only condiment Messi faced in the series against Monterrey. Before the first leg, the coach Fernando Tano Ortiz He heated up the series by questioning a possible arbitration favorable to Inter Miami due to the pure and exclusive presence of Leo.

After Rayados’ victory, the coach was consulted on his statements which, according to leaked audio from his assistant Nicolás Sánchez, caused such discomfort that “Messi wanted to fight“.

“Of what happened, I have never disrespected anyone or wanted anyone to be offended.. This is what I want to clarify. It’s an opinion, as others may have.“, the coach, with a past as a footballer in Boca and Estudiantes, among other Argentine teams, tried to calm the waters.

And unlike last week, this time he showered the Argentine with praise: “I said it and I repeat it: For me he is the best player in the entire history of the sport. I still stand by that and I even started saying the things that I said, that I never meant to offend anyone or disrespect anyone. I simply gave my opinion regarding what I still think.“.

However, some tension between the two protagonists was visible when they didn’t say goodbye. “(The salute) wasn’t given. And if it was, I don’t know how he would react. For my part, you will have respect for life.“, Ortiz closed to put an end to the novel that he himself had begun to write. He even went so far as to describe this triumph as “the most important of my career”.

Despite the Leagues Cup (another tournament that pits MLS teams against Mexican teams) of which Inter Miami became champions last year, Concacampioni It meant a hard blow to reality, showing that American clubs are still one step below Mexico. The semi-final draw confirms this: Only the Columbus Crew, reigning MLS champions, managed to access the semi-finals of these Concachampions, where Pachuca and América will also play..

Now, On the other hand, the maximum objective of Messi and his teammates has already been achieved: to qualify for the MLS playoffs for the first time in the club’s historytrying to minimize the possibility of suffering new nights to forget, like that of early Wednesday morning in Mexico.