Months later, Rodrygo was again asked about his fight with Lionel Messi before the match between Brazil and Argentina at the Maracanã in November 2023. After the start of the match was delayed due to police repression against away fans, the Brazilian had a heated argument with the former Barcelona player shortly before kickoff.
“I think everyone saw what happened: they were wanting to leave the field. You know how it is against Argentina, during the match there was going to be some fight, and we ended up fighting,” Rodrygo told Placar TV, though he didn’t want to give more details about what happened at the request of Real Madrid.
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“We insulted each other. I can’t go into much detail about what I said because Real Madrid asked me not to go into this matter too much,” he added.
The 23-year-old, however, said he’s not seeking revenge despite his team losing 1-0 that night: “I don’t think so. I think the feeling of revenge is bad because you go into the game angry. You can get distracted and do things that are not in the plans. We have to continue doing our job and evolving.”
He also admitted that the current world champions are still a step ahead of the Selecao: “We are behind Argentina, they are the world champions, the Copa América champions too, so I think we are still behind them.”
The 2024 Copa América will be an opportunity for Brazil to restore pride and return to the top of the continent. Will Rodrygo help achieve that goal?
