In a recent interview with Andy Kusnetzoff for the "Perros de la Calle" program, Lionel Messi spoke about everything he experienced with the Argentina national team in the 2022 Qatar World Cup. Among those things, he referred to the episode he experienced after the match against the Netherlands in the quarter-finals.
In that match, the players of the 'Albiceleste' exchanged words with the Dutch and even with the coaching staff led, at that time, by Louis Van Gaal. Lionel Messi did the 'Topo Gigio' in the presence of the Dutch coach and then, in the mixed zone, he said to Wout Weghorst: "What are you looking at, dummy? Go away."
“The truth is I hadn't thought about it. It came out in the moment and yes, I knew what had been said before the match, what he (van Gaal) had said. Some of my teammates were telling me: 'Did you see what he said', on purpose. We were up 2-0 and then in the moment, I don't like what I did, what happened afterwards with the 'go away'. These are highly tense moments, a lot of nervousness, everything happens very quickly and you don't have time to think about anything. Actually, it wasn't planned at all, it just happened like that and as I say, I don't like to leave that image," said the 'Flea'.
“I know. Everything that came out was natural, a lot of things had happened on the field with that player and a couple more. In moments of tension, friction, crossing, when the match gets to you like that, the anger towards the referee as well. I was in the mixed zone and the match had just ended. And well, I know there is everything now," Lionel Messi added.
Wout Weghorst's Version
Weghorst spoke to the press and was asked about that episode with Lionel Messi. The Dutch striker clarified that he had good intentions towards the Argentine: "I wanted to shake his hand after the match, I have a lot of respect for him as a football player, but he pushed my hand aside and didn't want to talk to me," he said.
So, because of the "what are you looking at, dummy", the Dutch center forward felt disappointed by Messi's behavior, as he did not expect such a reaction. "My Spanish is not very good, but he said disrespectful things to me and that disappoints me. I'm really disappointed," he concluded.