Mexico captain Guardado defends Messi after Alvarez threat

Doha: Mexico captain Andres Guardado has defended Lionel Messi after boxer Canelo Alvarez issued a threat to the Argentine having taken offence at a video appearing to show the striker nudging away a Mexico jersey on the floor with his foot.

Messi scored in Argentina’s 2-0 win over Mexico at the World Cup on Saturday and Mexican Alvarez, who has around 2.2mn followers on Twitter, said the striker “should ask God that I don’t find him” having taken offence at the video. But the 36-year-old Guardado, who is playing in his fifth World Cup, said he saw nothing out of the ordinary himself.

“It’s an agreement with the props: when you leave everything sweaty on the floor it’s all to wash,” Guardado told reporters. “I’ve had the fortune and the privilege of facing Messi for many years in Spain...

I know the person he is. Unfortunately, maybe Canelo doesn’t understand what it’s like in a dressing room.”

Mexico must win their final Group C match against Saudi Arabia today to have any chance of reaching the last 16 in Qatar.