Lionel Messi is rarely seen losing his cool on a football pitch, but the veteran forward found himself in a heated exchange with referee Joao Pinheiro during Argentina’s 3-1 extra-time win over Switzerland in the World Cup quarter-final.

The 39-year-old was visibly animated as he confronted the Portuguese official, and cameras around the world caught the tense back-and-forth in what was otherwise a quieter night for the Argentina captain in front of goal.

What was said Between Lionel Messi and the Referee

REUTERS/Hamad I Mohammed

It is unclear as to what exactly sparked the confrontation, but Argentine outlet Ole provided a translation of Messi’s comments to Pinheiro:

The flashpoint appears to stem from Pinheiro instructing Messi to adjust his position in the defensive wall ahead of a Swiss free kick, with the forward seemingly taking issue with how the referee said what he said, rather than the words used.

Messi didn’t dwell on the moment for long, quickly returning his focus to driving Argentina’s attack for the remainder of the contest.

See the full incident here:

Messi’s Quieter Night Ahead of Huge Semi-Final vs England

Reuters/Maria Lysaker

Despite the drama, Messi still finished as a key creative outlet across the full 120 minutes. He was handed a 7.79 rating by Opta, registering one assist but no goals, the first game of the tournament in which he hasn’t found the net.

His passing was typically tidy too, completing 86% of his 65 attempted passes, while he also contributed defensively, winning back possession in advanced areas and continuing to trouble the Swiss backline with his movement.

It wasn’t a vintage individual display by Messi’s own lofty standards, but his influence remained central to Argentina grinding out a hard-fought win that sets up a mouthwatering semi-final meeting with England.

Arsenal are set to complete the signing of Elijah Upson after he left Tottenham Hotspur, having beaten off competition from a number of top European clubs for his signature, according to journalist Simon Jones.

Tottenham have shocked everybody with the aggression and strength of their summer business so far, but Arsenal‘s squad needs a lot less work after a stunning 2025-26 campaign where they came within a penalty shootout of winning both the Premier League and the Champions League.

Their only incoming business so far has been to add Illan Meslier to their goalkeeping options on a free transfer, following his exit from Leeds United last month at the end of his contract.

The Gunners are working on new additions for their frontline and midfield at the moment, with all the top sources in the industry confirming their desire to land Newcastle United captain Bruno Guimaraes in this summer transfer window, even though they are yet to make contact with the Magpies over a deal.

The north Londoners are looking to bolster their attack too after accepting a bid from Besiktas for Leandro Trossard, with Christos Tzolis of Club Brugge a target alongside their number one priority, Aston Villa and England’s Morgan Rogers.

Arsenal Win Fierce Race for Tottenham Defender

via Reuters

According to Daily Mail journalist Jones, Upson has decided to join Arsenal after leaving their arch-rivals Tottenham this summer.

The lightning-fast centre-back, who is a former 100m sprint champion from his school days and son of former Gunner Matthew, has chosen to remain in north London despite interest from some of the biggest clubs across Europe.

The talented 18-year-old also had offers from Chelsea, Manchester City, Everton, Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund, Bayer Leverkusen and Monaco, but has opted to join the Premier League holders.

He is likely to link up with their youth sides before looking to make the jump up to the first team in the coming seasons.

Arsenal Hold Talks Over Signing ‘Best Player in the World’

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Arsenal are determined to add a new left-sided attacker to Mikel Arteta’s squad this summer, especially if Trossard departs, and one report has claimed that they have been in contact over a potential deal for Real Madrid star Vinicius Junior.

The Brazilian currently has two years remaining on his contract at the Bernabeu, but if no progress is made on negotiations over a new deal then Real could be tempted to cash in on the exciting Brazil international.

Vini Junior and his representatives are said to be demanding a jump up to a salary of around £500,000-a-week from his current £350,000-a-week wage, with the La Liga giants keen to strike a deal on a £400,000-a-week contract.

Arsenal aren’t the only Premier League club being informed by intermediaries over the 26-year-old’s availability, with Manchester United, Manchester City, Chelsea and Liverpool also showing some level of interest.

There is no doubt that the Brazilian would be a huge statement signing for any of those aforementioned clubs, and it would be great to see him in the Premier League.

Manchester United are only getting started with their signing of Andrey Santos, who will join the club on a big-money deal from Chelsea. The Red Devils are paying £48million to sign the young Brazilian, who has a big future ahead of him, but there is no room for him in terms of regular minutes for the Blues.

The deal came after United canceled a deal to sign Ederson from Atalanta weeks after agreeing a deal. The Red Devils requested a second medical after the World Cup, and they didn’t like what they saw, even if Atalanta still maintain there is nothing wrong with the player physically,

Michael Carrick wants two or three new midfielders this summer, well aware that he needs to replace Casemiro while adding further depth, and in Santos, United now have a modern hybrid midfielder who can play almost every role in the midfield, but he is only the beginning of the club’s business this summer.

Fabrizio Romano on Man Utd’s next steps after Andrey Santos transfer

According to transfer guru Fabrizio Romano, Man Utd are still looking at midfielders after the Andrey Santos deal, which is done even if not yet announced, and it looks as if there will be more than one new midfielder recruited.

“Man Utd remain keen on signing new midfielders because Andrey Santos is done,” Romano said on his YouTube show. “Also, many of you asking me why Andrey Santos is not official. Guys, I’m not controlling the social media of Manchester United to make announcements, but I can guarantee you Andrey Santos is signed and completed. Also, the contract has been signed yesterday (Friday). The deal is done.”

That will be seen as good news for United fans, who will know the midfield is the one place where Carrick can’t afford to be caught short if they have big ambitions.

What will Man Utd look for next?

Peter Cziborra via Action Images via Reuters

It’s likely United have another big-money midfielder in mind. While Santos is able to play in a deeper role, it would be surprising if Carrick did not sign a more senior player who specialises in the holding or pivot midfield role.

Casemiro was a huge presence in that deep role, and in the modern game, you are not going to compete without a top player in that position. PSG have Vitinha and Joao Neves, Man City have Rodri, Arsenal have Declan Rice and Bayern Munich have Joshua Kimmich. There are few more important positions in the modern game, and United are going to have to go and get one if they have ambitions of competing for titles, even if it’s likely to be a pricey deal.