MP Wants Lionel Messi to be Banned From Entering Mexico After World Cup Controversy

The storm over Lionel Messi booting away Mexican football captain Andreas Guardado’s jersey while in Argentine dressing room during the ongoing FIFA World Cup 2022 refuses to blow away. Now, an influential Mexican Member of Parliament has reportedly tabled a motion to declare Messi ‘persona non grata’ for allegedly disrespecting the country.

Messi accepted the jersey from Guardado after a group match against Mexico which Argentina won 2-0. Later a clip went viral on social media showing the football icon moving the jersey that was lying on the floor with his foot triggering controversy.

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“The Chamber of Deputies of the Honorable Congress of the Union respectfully urges the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to issue the corresponding Declaration in order to declare persona non grata within of the territory of the United Mexican States to the citizen of Argentine and Spanish nationality, Lionel Andrés Messi Cuccitini, due to his manifest contempt and lack of respect towards Mexico during the World Cup of the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) on Saturday, November 26, 2022,” The Mirror quoted the document tabled in the parliament by Maria Clemente Garcia Moreno as saying.

Prior to that, Mexican boxer Canelo Alvarez had threatened Messi for ‘cleaning the floor’ with Guardado’s jersey.

“Did you guys see Messi cleaning the floor with our jersey and flag,” Alvarez tweeted. “He better pray to God that I don’t find him. Just like I respect Argentina, he has to respect Mexico!”

Alvares later apologised for his remarks after being made aware Messi didn’t mean any disrespect and that it wasn’t intentional.

On his part, the Argentina maestro said,”Anyone who knows me knows that I never disrespect anyone. I don’t have to apologise because I did not disrespect the Mexico shirt or anyone.”

Even Guardado has himself rejected how the incident has been perceived.

“I know the person Messi is. It’s a deal with the staff that when it’s all sweaty, it gets left on the floor. Be it your jersey or rival. Canelo doesn’t know what a dressing room is. It seems silly to me. That shirt was mine, I exchanged it with Leo,” he told TyC Sports.