Two months after Lionel Messi won his second Copa America title with Argentina, Carlos Chandia, a former FIFA referee, admitted that he gave the famous Inter Miami player extra time in the 2007 Copa America semifinals in return for his jersey.
In 2007, Argentina had a great year. La Albiceleste was trying to win their first continental title in 14 years. They had stars like Carlos Tevez, Juan Sebastian Veron, and Juan Roman Riquelme around Messi.
Chilean referee Carlos Chandia set up a knockout match between Messi’s team and Mexico. During the tournament, they scored 16 goals and gave up only 3. After many years, the official admitted that he helped Argentina in a controversial play involving the 8-time Ballon d’Or winner.
“All of a sudden, Messi picks up a ball and touches it with his hand, but it’s in the middle of the pitch.” The Mexican team didn’t have a chance to score or do anything like that. I told him, “This play gets you a yellow card, but you will lose your jersey.” It was 3-0 with two and a half minutes left, and I didn’t show him the yellow card, Chandia told ESPN FShow in Chile.
The controversial Chilean judge later explained why he made the choice he did: “Giving him a yellow card would have taken away his chance to play in the Copa América final.” I missed out on the chance to judge the 2007 Copa América final in Venezuela because of that yellow card.
Messi did what the judge asked after helping Argentina win the Copa América
Chandia says Messi gave the ref his shirt after the game because that’s what the ref asked for: “He went to leave the jersey in the locker room afterward.” When he tried to take it off on the field, I told him, “No, no, no. Take it to the locker room.” He brought the shirt to the locker room and left it there for me.
Messi was able to play in the Copa America final against Brazil after this happened. But the Argentine team didn’t get what they were hoping for: La Albiceleste lost 3-0 to the Selecao, leaving Messi without a title.
FAQ’s
Q1: Who is the referee for the final Copa America?
Ans: That will not happen in the final, which puts the juggernaut against the rising star. Colombia will do everything it can to make that happen. Raphael Claus, a judge from Brazil, will be in charge of the final game. Before the 2022 World Cup, Claus was on the list of official FIFA referees.
Q2: In what year did Messi win the Copa America?
Ans: Messi won Argentina’s third big trophy in a row on Sunday. He had already won the Copa in 2021 and the World Cup in 2022. Brazil won its 16th Copa America, which is a record.
Q3: How much does the Copa America referee make?
Ans: How much does an American Referee make at COPA Soccer Training Centre? In the US, the average hourly pay for a COPA Soccer Training Centre referee is about $28.46, which is 48% more than the national average.
Q4: Who are the referees for Copa America 2024?
Ans: Copa América 2024 – Referees
| Referees | Nat. | Age |
|---|---|---|
| Wilmar Roldán | 44 | 78 |
| Aníbal Tejada | 0 | 0 |
| Nobel Valentini | 0 | 0 |
| Óscar Ruiz | 54 | 47 |
Q5: How many Copa Americas did Messi lose?
Ans: Lionel Messi finally won his first and only Copa America title in 2021, after coming so close in 2007, 2015, and 2016. Argentina beat Brazil 1-0 in the final.
