During the first half, with PSG leading Inter Miami 1-0, Vitinha received the ball with his back to the opponent's goal near midfield. Messi charged from behind to challenge for the ball. Messi's left hand appeared to tug at Vitinha's shirt, while his right hand swung towards the Portuguese midfielder at a low level. A second later, the Miami captain swung again, this time higher, resembling an uppercut, but missed Vitinha.
Messi's two right-handed swings seemed unusual and unnecessary. It's unclear whether he intended to hit Vitinha, but fortunately for the 25-year-old midfielder, he wasn't struck.
According to French football site AS Quinas, Messi "tried to punch Vitinha". "But VAR did not intervene in this situation. Is anyone surprised?", the site wrote.
In 2023, French media reported a conflict between Messi and Vitinha during a PSG training session earlier that year. They claimed the midfielder, born in 2000, had hurt the Argentinian superstar during a challenge for the ball. Messi reportedly said: "You are not only weak, but you also hurt me." However, Vitinha denied this.
During the first half of the June 29 match, several clashes between the two teams led to warnings from the referee. Miami's left midfielder, Telasco Segovia, pushed Achraf Hakimi, prompting an angry exchange between the two. Messi, covering his mouth, said something to Hakimi, causing the Moroccan defender to point at Segovia and explain. The referee also had to stop the match when Miami defender Marcelo Weigandt stepped on Khvicha Kvaratskhelia's foot.
In the final 10 minutes of the first half, PSG scored three more goals, effectively deciding the match early. In the second half, Luis Enrique's team eased off to conserve energy, securing a 4-0 victory and a quarter-final match against Bayern.
Before the match, France's leading sports newspaper, L'Equipe, published an article listing Messi's unsporting actions since the 2022 World Cup, calling him a "dirty player." After the match, the newspaper described Messi's reunion with PSG as "bitter."
Despite the apparent incident, Vitinha still showed affection for the 38-year-old superstar. After the final whistle, the Portuguese midfielder approached Messi, hugging and encouraging the Argentinian captain. In a post-match interview, Vitinha said: "What Messi achieves at his age is no surprise, as he is still the best player in the world."
Compiled by Hoang An
