LIONEL MESSI asked to be substituted during Argentina’s 1-1 draw with Colombia.
The Inter Miami superstar, 37, has been back in action with the reigning world champions this month having missed the March international break.
Messi started as Lionel Scaloni’s men took on Colombia in Buenos Aires.
Argentina have already comfortably qualified for next summer’s World Cup finals, but regardless the match turned out to be a feisty affair.
Liverpool star Luis Diaz gave Colombia a first half lead courtesy of a brilliant solo goal.
The game reached a major flashpoint on 70 minutes, when Enzo Fernandez was sent off for kicking Kevin Castano in the head with a high challenge.
Fernandez’s tackle prompted a scuffle between the two teams, as Castano dramatically writhed around on the ground.
Amid the melee, Messi exchanged harsh words with Colombian counterpart James Rodriguez.
Argentina’s legendary No10 is said to have been unhappy about Rodriguez claiming that his side had gotten lucky with refereeing decisions during last year’s Copa America final triumph.
Messi then appeared to get away with throwing an elbow towards Crystal Palace star Daniel Munoz.
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The former Barcelona star was somewhat surprisingly substituted on 78 minutes, as 10-man Argentina chased an equaliser.
But it proved to be an inspired choice, as his replacement Exequiel Palacios teed up Lyon‘s Thiago Almada to equalise in the 81st minute.
After the game, Scaloni explained the decision to take off Messi.
The Argentina boss said: “Leo wasn’t going to come off, but he ended up coming off near the end.
“He told me it was better for him to come off, and so we decided to change him.
“The good thing we always showed, with 10 men and without Messi, is that we kept looking, not giving up on a ball. That makes us very satisfied.”
Argentina are 10 points clear of second-placed Ecuador in the South American World Cup qualifying standings.
Messi and Co will conclude their qualifying campaign with matches against Venezuela and Ecuador in September.
VODAFONE and Three Mobile have revealed how their merger will affect customers and unveiled a new rule to cancel contracts for free.
From July, customers will be able to take advantage of a new “Just Ask Once” promise which aims to solve complaints quickly.
As part of the service, users will be able to message with a customer service member through the Vodafone app.
The move aims to speed up how customers’ problems are handled and cut down the time users are placed on hold.
Initially, only Vodafone customers will be able to use the service, with a date for when it will be rolled out to legacy Three users yet to be confirmed.
Customers will be able to message with the person handling their complaint directly and will receive regular message updates until the issue is resolved.
Mobile and broadband users facing problems will also only have to deal with one staff member handling their complaint.
The mobile and broadband giant said if the issue isn’t resolved to the customers’ satisfaction, they will be able to “simply part ways without penalty”.
Typically, customers are charged an exit fee if they wish to end their contract early. Even if they are unhappy with the service.
These fees vary depending on the provider and the remaining months on the contract.
If you are unsure if you will be charged an exit fee, you can check your contract terms or contact your provider.
Vodafone’s customer service number will still remain open for customers if they wish to call and speak with staff directly.
Earlier this week, the pair completed a £15billion mega-merger, creating the UK’s biggest mobile network with over 27million customers.
The tie-up was first announced in 2023 but faced a probe by the competition watchdog, which was worried about the negative effect on consumers.
The Competition and Markets Authority feared it could substantially reduce options for mobile customers and lead to higher bills.
The CMA gave the thumbs up in December, as long as the two firms agreed to invest billions of pounds to roll out a combined 5G network across the UK.
They were also told to offer shorter-term customer protections requiring the merged company to cap certain mobile tariffs for three years.
Alongside improving customer service, bosses aim to delivery strong 5G service to 99.5% of the population by 2034.
The pair also plan to open two customer care centres in Belfast and Sheffield.
Vodafone and Three both operate their own stores across the country but the company says it has “no planned retail redundancies”.
The move has been backed by Chancellor Rachel Reeves, who said: “I’m delighted that that this huge investment is being made in mobile phone network infrastructure.
“Better connecting people with families, loved ones and work by providing stronger, more widespread 5G coverage.”
Analysis by Jamie Harris, Assistant Technology and Science Editor at The Sun
All these changes sound pretty exciting – but most customers will be wondering if it will cost them more.
VodafoneThree says its mobile network boost comes at “no extra cost”.
And bosses have insisted as much to get the deal over the line for months.
Vodafone’s CEO Margherita Della Valle told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme in December that the merger would cause “no extra costs from public funding and no extra cost for our customers”.
The company has had to agree to a number of legally binding commitments to win the approval of the competition regulator CMA.
One of those was a cap on “selected mobile tariffs and data plans” for three years.
As things stand Vodafone, Three and sub-brands VOXI, SMARTY and Talkmobile, will continue to sell their own mobile products, so it shouldn’t result in less choice or competition.
HELEN Flanagan sent temperatures soaring as she posed in sultry black lace lingerie and suspenders for a new photoshoot.
The former Coronation Street actress, 34, wowed in a revealing Nikki Inmates lingerie set.
The racy ensemble featured a lacy bra that showed off her curves, teamed with matching underwear, thigh-high stockings, and suspenders.
After showcasing her sizzling look, Helen took to Instagram Stories with a thinly veiled dig at her ex.
She posted a meme that read: “What are you getting your baby daddy for Father’s Day,” paired with a dramatic clip of Whitney Houston belting out “nothing” from the 1992 film The Bodyguard.
Helen and Scott, who share three kids, ended their 13-year relationship in 2022.
She later began dating Robbie Talbot, 45, but that romance ended last month after a year together.
Reflecting on the split from Scott, Helen revaeled that the decision to part ways was hers after they kept “breaking up and then getting back together”.
“In the end, it was me who decided [to break up],” she told The Sun.
“I’ll always be sad it didn’t work out, and we still have love for each other, but we’re happier apart.”
Speaking candidly on Charlotte Dawson’s Naughty Corner podcast, Helen opened up further about their complicated dynamic.
“I still love him very much, I care about him deeply, but we don’t like each other.
“We don’t like each other at all, we don’t get on. I do know that Scott – he’d never admit it – cares about me too and he does love me.
“But I’m so done, I could never have another relationship again where we would always be bickering. I haven’t got another argument in me.
“As women we try and do anything we can to make it work with the father of your children and I did.
“But I think for me if I was in a relationship with someone else it would have to be easy because I haven’t got the energy in me again, I’ve done all that with the father of my kids.”
She also described their co-parenting arrangement with a hint of humour, admitting it’s often a challenge.
Helen said the dynamic is “hilarious” and that the pair do their best to avoid each other – mainly to prevent any arguments in front of the kids.
