Cold War Between Lionel Messi and Leandro Paredes in Champions League

Lionel Messi and Leandro Paredes — two key players for the Argentina national team, known for their camaraderie on international duty — once found themselves on opposite sides of a tense moment during a UEFA Champions League clash.

The incident occurred in the Round of 16 second leg of the 2020–2021 Champions League season, when Messi was still at FC Barcelona and Paredes was playing for Paris Saint-Germain (PSG).

In that match, held at the Parc des Princes, PSG advanced to the quarter-finals after securing a 1–1 draw, building on their dominant 4–1 victory in the first leg at Camp Nou, giving them a 5–2 aggregate win. While the French side celebrated the qualification, tension reportedly flared between the two Argentines.

According to several media outlets at the time, Paredes made a comment to a teammate during the post-match celebrations — loud enough for Messi to overhear. The nature of the remark wasn’t made public, but it was perceived as disrespectful by the Barça captain.

Messi, known for rarely showing emotion in such situations, was reportedly so upset that he confronted Paredes directly. The tension, however, didn’t escalate further, and both players eventually moved past it, especially when they reunited in the national team setup.

Interestingly, just a few months later, Messi joined PSG in the summer of 2021, where he and Paredes became club teammates and reestablished their bond. Their unity would shine again during Argentina’s triumphant run at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, where both played crucial roles.

The brief fallout serves as a rare glimpse into the high-pressure emotions of elite-level football, even between close friends and compatriots.