Burnley striker Wout Weghorst was the target of Lionel Messi ’s rage when the Argentine star suffered a meltdown on live TV following his country’s dramatic World Cup win over Holland.
Messi was voicing his opinion to viewers back in South America about the bad-tempered game when Weghorst suddenly appeared on the scene and started arguing with a group that included former Manchester City striker Sergio Aguero and Manchester United defender Lisandro Martinez.
Weghorst had come on as a substitute to rescue the Dutch with two late goals to take the quarter-final to extra-time and penalties only for Argentina to prevail in the shoot-out.
Messi called the 6ft 6ins Clarets’ striker a dummy and told him to shut-up.
Aguero said: “Aguero said: “We were just starting to enter the dressing room when this big guy (Weghorst) started to shout ‘hey, hey, Messi.’
“Leo turned around to look at him and said what he said.
“The guy then told him ‘come here and say that.’ So I jumped in there and told him to shut up.
“I said ‘why are you talking to Messi like that?’ He then said to me ‘don’t tell me to shut up.’
“It was a hot moment so I said ‘ok, it’s over. Go away. Shake my hand and good luck’.”
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Weghorst, who also scored from the spot in the shoot-out, is a combustible character.
He is spending the season on-loan at Turkish club Besiktas after Burnley ’s relegation last season just six months after he arrived from Wolfsburg in a £12million deal.
Argentina were furious at Louis van Gaal’s provocative language ahead of the game, which boiled over into a mass confrontation between players from both sides just before Weghorst’s late leveller.
