LIONEL MESSI almost sparked a massive melee during the international break.
Messi, 38, was called up by Argentina for the World Cup qualifiers against Venezuela and Ecuador.
The star forward shone bright on Friday’s encounter with the Venezuelan national team at the Monumental.
The Argentina captain led the reigning world champions to a 3-0 triumph with a brace, while Lautaro Martinez also scored.
But the Inter Miami star got involved in a heated confrontation backstage during half-time.
It all started when Venezuela star Tomas Rincon caught up with Messi and remonstrated with him for his actions in a previous play.
Rincon, 37, appeared to have given the eight-time Ballon D’Or winner a small push, which provoked an angry reaction from the Argentine great.
However, Venezuelan star Salomon Rondon separated the two and prevented an unwanted escalation.
The situation was thankfully defused and the Barcelona legend went on to hug former Inter Miami team-mate Josef Martinez, who was playing for Venezuela.
This was an emotional match for Messi as it may have been his last ever game at the historic Monumental stadium with the Argentina shirt on.
The ex-Paris Saint-Germain star has yet to decide whether he will compete in the 2026 World Cup.
Messi said: “Being able to finish this way here is what I’ve always dreamed of.
“I’ve experienced a lot of things on this pitch, both good and not so good, but it’s always a joy to play in Argentina, in front of our fans.”
Argentina have already qualified for the competition, which will be held in the US, Canada and Mexico.
But Messi insists he will only join Lionel Scaloni’s team’s effort to defend their crown if he feels fit.
He added: “Same as I said before about the World Cup that I don’t think I’ll play another. Because of my age, the most logical thing is that I won’t make it.
“But well, we’re almost there so I’m excited and motivated to play it. Like I always say, I go day by day, match by match. That’s it, taking it day by day, going by how I feel.
“Day by day, trying to feel good and above all, being honest with myself.
“When I feel good, I enjoy it, but when I don’t, honestly, I don’t have a good time, so I prefer not to be there if I don’t feel good. So we’ll see. I haven’t made a decision about the World Cup.
“Match by match, I’ll finish the season, then I’ll have pre-season, and there will be six months left. So we’ll see how I feel.
“Hopefully I’ll have a good pre-season in 2026 and finish this MLS season well and then I’ll decide.”
