Canelo Alvarez Apologizes After Threatening Lionel Messi For ‘Disrespecting’ Mexican World Cup Jersey
“I want to apologize to Messi and to all the people of Argentina. Every day we learn something new and this time, it was my turn.”
Boxing superstar Saul “Canelo” Alvarez has apologized after calling out soccer icon Lionel Messi for allegedly disrespecting Canelo’s home country by kicking a Mexican jersey during a celebratory World Cup victory video.
In the viral video, Messi and his Argentina teammates can be seen celebrating their 2-0 win World Cup win over Mexico in their locker room. As ESPN notes, a seated Messi appears to lightly kick a Mexican jersey during a team chant.
Alvarez, the undisputed super middleweight champion, fired off a flurry of angry tweets in Spanish beginning with, “Did you see Messi cleaning the floor with our jersey and flag????”
“He better pray to God that I don’t find him!! Just like I respect Argentina, he has to respect Mexico!” he Alvarez continued.
“I’m not talking about the country as a whole, just about the bullshit that Messi did.”
Many defended Messi, claiming that the world’s highest-paid athlete merely touched the Mexican jersey accidentally while removing his cleats.
Others claimed Alvarez threatened violence too quickly, but the Mexican boxer stood his ground: “From the moment the Mexico jersey is on the floor it’s already an insult.”
Former Argentina player Sergio Aguero defended Messi in a direct reply to Alvarez, writing, “Mr. Canelo, don’t look for excuses or problems, surely you don’t know about soccer and what happens in a locker room.”
“The jerseys are always on the floor after games due to sweat and then if you see well, he makes the movement to remove the [cleat] and accidentally hits it.”
Argentina’s victory, which came via goals from Messi and Enzo Fernandez, keeps the country in the World Cup running after a shocking 2-1 loss to Saudi Arabia in their group opener.
In a move becoming of the world’s top-earning athlete, Messi was spotted wearing an 18-karat white-gold Patek Philippe Nautilus Perpetual Calendar Ref. 5740/1G, valued at $265,000 on the aftermarket per Robb Report, at a press conference before his team’s latest win.
Messi responded to Canelo’s online furor saying he had nothing to apologize for.
“It was a misunderstanding,” he stated, per Yahoo Sports. “Those who know me know that I don’t disrespect anyone. These are things that happen in the locker room after the game.
“I don’t have to ask for forgiveness because I didn’t disrespect the people of Mexico or the jersey.”
Canelo later apologized for his furious tweets, apparently after he had cooled down considerably.
“In these last few days I got carried away by the passion and love I have for my country and I made some comments that were out of order,” Alvarez tweeted in Spanish on November 30.
“I want to apologize to Messi and to all the people of Argentina. Every day we learn something new and this time, it was my turn.”