Inter Miami United States star Argentine forward and 2022 World Cup winner Lionel Messi has spoken about Topo Gigio's gesture to Netherlands coach Louis van Gaal in the quarter-finals of the mundial:
"It bothers me when people talk like that off the pitch and don't respect their opponent. I have never been like that.
A million things can happen on the pitch and it stays on it. But to speak disrespectfully before the game, wanting to inflame the situation - I've never done that and I don't like to be treated like that. I think van Gaal did it a little bit on purpose, the goalkeeper spoke out as well. These are things I don't like.
The idea to do the Topo Gigio gesture came to me at the time and I automatically regretted it. Thought 'what an idiot, what am I doing, they can still equalise'. These things usually happen," Messi said.
Messi converted an 11-metre penalty in the 73rd minute in the quarter-finals of the 2022 World Cup between Argentina and the Netherlands, making the score 2-0. Leo then made a gesture named after the children's show character Topo Gigio, putting his open palms to his ears and doing so in front of van Gaal.