“I apologized to Messi and admitted I was wrong, but not because of pressure from trolls”

Boxing phenom Saul “Canelo” Alvarez has explained why he apologized to Lionel Messi after their 2022 World Cup spat. The two sporting powerhouses had an unexpected rivalry during the tournament in Qatar, which was sparked after Messi's Argentina beat Mexico in the group stage.

It was after that 2-0 win for the Albiceleste that images surfaced of Messi, 37, kicking a Mexico jersey in the victors' dressing room. However, those scenes did not sit well with the king of the super-middleweight division.

Alvarez appeared very angry with X shortly after the incident, telling his fans: “He (Messi) better pray to God that I never find him again.” However, he has since apologised to the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner and admitted his fault in the furore.

The undisputed champion spoke out again on social media in November 2022 and admitted to having “let himself get carried away by the passion and love” he feels for his country. He later apologized “to Messi and the people of Argentina” for his initial reaction to the shirt issue, and explained this week why he did so.

“You have to admit that you're wrong. It doesn't make you better or worse. You have to admit that you made a mistake,” Canelo told Univision Fresno. “The euphoria of supporting the Mexican team at that moment and seeing them lose like that… well, obviously, you don't think too much about your actions. But you have to recognize that you make mistakes and that's it.”

Canelo, 33, was keen to stress that it wasn't the pressure he received from social media users that made him think twice about his comments. However, he was humble enough to acknowledge his overreaction at the time.

Messi was of course the driving force behind Argentina's world title triumph and ended their long-eluded quest for an international title. Lionel Scaloni's side suffered a surprise defeat by Saudi Arabia in their opening game but bounced back to win the title for the first time since 1986.

Mexico, meanwhile, missed out on a place in the round of 16 by the narrowest of margins. Despite beating Saudi Arabia in their final group game, El Tri were eliminated on goal difference, with Poland finishing second in their group.

Messi has since joined Major League Soccer after joining Inter Miami in 2023. All indications were that Qatar would be his World Cup swansong, but he has since sparked speculation he could be fit to feature at the 2026 tournament, which will be co-hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada.

This schedule could once again put the Argentine legend in conflict with Canelo's Mexico, who have already qualified as hosts. However, Messi could be a little more careful about the jersey he faces this time around.