World Cup 2022: Mexico's Captain Andrés Guardado Defends Lionel Messi, Slams Canelo Alvarez

• Mexico's national team captain Andres Guardado has cleared the air on an incident involving Lionel Messi and a Mexican jersey in the dressing room
• Messi has been on the receiving end of vile tweets from Mexican boxer Canelo Alvarez who accused him of disrespecting Mexico
• Guardado has rejected Canelo's claims saying that Messi is a figure known for his respect for everyone

Mexico captain Andrés Guardado has jumped to the defence of his Argentina counterpart Lionel Messi following his spat with Canelo Alvarez.

Messi was dragged into a social media feud by the Mexican boxer after a video showed Messi unknowingly 'stepping' on a Mexican jersey.

The incident happened in the dressing room after Argentina's game against Mexico, in which Messi played a starring role. The Paris Saint-Germain forward scored from yards out to put his side on course for a 2-0 victory.

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After the game, Messi exchanged jerseys with a Mexican player as he headed to the dressing room to lead the celebrations. Guadrado has since confirmed the jersey was his and absolved him from Canelo's allegations.

Guardado dismisses Canelo

Canelo had alleged that Messi had stomped the Mexican jersey in a clear disrespect to the nation. But Guadrado has slammed Canelo and explained how the dressing room works.

"We all know the respect that Leo Messi has for everyone. Canelo doesn't know how a locker room works. I thought what was said was nonsense," as quoted by Goal.

Aguero slams Canelo

Guardado becomes the third person to defend Messi after Sergio Aguero and Cesc Fabregas. Sports Brief had earlier reported that the spat between Lionel Messi and Santos Canelo Alvarez is gaining quick traction, with Sergio Aguero becoming the latest to jump into the feud.

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Alvarez was angry after a video showed Messi stepping on a Mexican shirt after Argentina's game against Mexico on November 26 at the Lusail Stadium.

Retired striker and close friend to Messi, Aguero hit back at Canelo's threats by giving insights into what goes on in a dressing room.

Messi's moment with Guardado's son

Guardado will look to put the Argentina disappointment behind him when he leads his side in their decisive match against Saudi Arabia. A win against the Middle East country and positive results elsewhere could see Mexico secure a round of 16 berth for the fifth consecutive time.

The Real Betis veteran is a longtime friend of Messi. Back when Messi was still in Barcelona, a heartwarming video emerged on social media where Mexico international Andrés Guardado was spotted taking his son to the dressing room to meet Lionel Messi.