Renowned for his typically mild-mannered demeanor, Lionel Messi's occasional displays of anger on the field have drawn significant attention.
In 2021, after 520 matches donning the Barcelona shirt, Messi received his first and only red card. During the Spanish Super Cup final against Athletic Bilbao, tensions escalated when Asier Villalibre provoked Messi, pushing him to lose his composure. In a fit of anger, Messi swung his right hand, striking Villalibre forcefully on the head. Referee Jesus Gil Manzano promptly sent Messi off, signaling an "early shower" for the Argentine star.
Following the victory over the Netherlands in the quarter-finals of the 2022 World Cup, the captain of the Argentina team expressed his anger towards Wout Weghorst during an interview. Sternly scolding Weghorst, Messi retorted, "Look at what? Go away." It was reported that Weghorst had engaged in a conversation with Messi during the match, which seemingly sparked Leo's anger.
In another incident during the quarter-finals of the 2022 World Cup, Messi displayed a lack of restraint by performing the infamous "Topo Gigio" celebration popularized by fellow Argentine Juan Roman Riquelme. This act involved covering his ears and directing it towards coach Louis Van Gaal. Messi's action was a response to Van Gaal's statement claiming that Messi had no contribution when Argentina struggled to maintain possession. Later, Messi expressed regret, stating, "I don't like what I did, including the words that escaped me in the heat of the moment after the game."
The 2022 World Cup witnessed an unusually fierce Messi. After Argentina's 2-0 victory over Mexico in the group stage, Messi was seen stepping on his opponent's shirt during the celebration. The match between Argentina and Mexico proved to be one of the most intense encounters of the tournament, with a total of 34 fouls, 19 of which were committed by the CONCACAF representative. The opponent's rough play also contributed to Messi's repeated bouts of anger.
On March 19, amidst PSG fans booing him during a 0-2 loss to Rennes in the 28th round of Ligue 1, Messi expressed his dissatisfaction. After the final whistle, he immediately headed towards the tunnel at Parc des Princes without acknowledging the fans or his teammates.
During a friendly match between Barcelona and AS Roma in the summer of 2015, Messi engaged in his first confrontation with Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa. The situation escalated when Messi rushed to grab the French midfielder by the neck. The intervention of the referee and players from both teams eventually halted the altercation, with Messi receiving a yellow card.
Apart from his heated moments on the field, Messi has also faced accusations of displaying a superior attitude. In 2020, Eric Olhats, former agent of Antoine Griezmann, gave a startling interview on behalf of the French striker. Olhats quoted Messi and accused the Argentine spearhead of "keeping an eye on everything" at Barcelona. Griezmann's former representative also claimed that the atmosphere at Barcelona was "truly suffocating."
Messi has also encountered legal troubles in Spain. In 2016, both Messi and his father, Jorge, were found guilty of tax evasion following the release of the "Panama Papers" data. They were sentenced to 21 months in suspended prison and fined 1.7 million euros and 1.4 million euros, respectively.
