Lionel Messi criticized the officiating following Argentina's 2-0 loss to Brazil in the Copa America semifinal.

“He [the referee] was on their side. In every divided ball or dispute, he inclined the pitch their way. It’s not an excuse, but the truth is that, in this Copa, they kept on blowing for stupid things, for handballs, penalties. But today, they didn’t even go to VAR when there were clear plays that should have been looked at," said Messi.

Messi was especially critical of a sequence before Brazil's second goal in which Argentina argued for a penalty.