FIFA World Cup: Canelo Alvarez Sends Angry Warning to Lionel Messi, Portugal Win Sees Pitch Invader
The World Cup continues and it has been quite the tournament already with controversies on and off the court. This includes Mexican boxer Saul "Canelo" Alvarez warning Argentina star Lionel Messi and a fan running into the pitch during the Portugal-Uruguay game.
The World Cup has been controversial so far, with Iran fuming at the United States for showing solidarity with anti-government protesters and, of course, the FIFA Corruption Scandal that got Qatar and Russia the hosting duties, as well as Qatar's alleged mistreatment of migrant workers in building the World Cup stadiums.
Lionel Messi Warned by Canelo Alvarez for Seemingly Disrespecting Mexico
Mexican boxing icon Canelo Alvarez claimed on social media that he saw Lionel Messi cleaning the floor with the Mexican jersey and flag following Argentina's win over Mexico. This was in reference to a video where Messi appears to kick a Mexico shirt that is on the floor as Argentina celebrated their victory.
"He better pray to God that I don't find him!!" stated Alvarez in a tweet with a series of angry emojis.
"Just like I respect Argentina, he has to respect Mexico! I'm not talking about the country as a whole, just about the bulls**t that Messi pulled," he added.
However, according to CNN, there was no indication that Messi kicked the shirt intentionally. It was pointed out that instead of doing that, he appeared to kick the Mexico jersey accidentally as he took off his football shoes.
Messi was apparently singing as he celebrated the win with his team, and might not have noticed the Mexican jersey there.
According to the Daily Mail, Argentina fans were shocked by Canelo's outburst. One fan replied that the boxer was just looking for attention, while another stated all the punches he took might have already affected his thinking. Another pointed out that Messi was simply taking his shoes off.
Portugal vs Uruguay Halted When Fan Invades Pitch
Host Qatar has been criticized for its clear and blatant disregard for the LGBTQ community. This was one of the big controversies surrounding the World Cup this year.
One fan decided to make his presence felt during the tournament and protest several injustices happening, including Qatar's treatment of the LGBTQ community, Iran's treatment of women, and Russia's war in Ukraine.
According to The Mirror, a man wearing a blue Superman shirt with the words "Save Ukraine" in the front and "Respect For Iranian Women" in the back ran into the field as the match between Portugal and Uruguay was happening, inturrepting the highly-anticipated showdown between Cristiano Ronaldo and Luis Suarez. He was also waving around a rainbow flag as he protested all three of these causes.
The man was tackled by an Iranian referee officiating the match and was promptly removed by stadium security, but not before making his protest known to the rest of the world.
This article is owned by Latin Post.
Written by: Rick Martin
WATCH: Mexican boxer Canelo álvarez calls out Lionel Messi: 'He better pray to God that I don't find him' - Fox 11 Los Angeles