When Lionel Messi showed his true colours — on and off the pitch

The 27-year-old Uruguayan Matias Coccaro thought he had Lionel Messi figured out. After the Mexican side Atlas equalised against Inter Miami in the MLS Leagues Cup, the forward was pumped. He started rallying his teammates and provoked Messi as well. This was their moment.

Then came the sucker punch. In injury time, Messi threaded a perfect pass to Weighant. Goal. Game over.

What happened next would stay with Coccaro forever. Messi sprinted straight towards him, celebrating wildly right in his face: raw emotion, pure adrenalin, the kind of in-your-face moment that either breaks a player or makes them respect the game even more. Remember, football is an emotional sport.

Coccaro just stood there, stunned. What could anyone say when faced with that kind of moment? The Uruguayan knew he had to stay quiet. “He’s the best in history,” Coccaro would later say with a laugh. “You can’t respond to him.”

But what happened after the final whistle showed why Messi isn’t just the best on the field, he’s a class act off it as well.

The Argentine found Coccaro on the field after the match. Hugged him. Apologised.

Messi felt sorry about the celebration, and that gesture said everything about his character. This wasn’t some PR move for the cameras; this was genuine. The legend understood that his celebration, while pure instinct in the heat of the moment, might have crossed a line.

The conversation between them was simple. Coccaro explained he was just competitive, always fighting to win. Messi got it immediately. His response was perfect: “I’ll give you my shirt.”

That jersey meant everything to the Atlas player. Not just because it came from the man he calls “the best in history,” but because of what it represented: one warrior recognising the other. Pure class from someone who had every right to just walk away victorious.

The moment brought Coccaro inner peace. Sometimes the true measure of greatness isn’t just what you do with the ball, but how you handle yourself when the game’s over. This is the perfect example of a “what happens on the pitch stays on the pitch” sort of moment.