Referee admits he didn’t give Lionel Messi a yellow card after making agreement that he could have his shirt… and booking would have ruled Argentine out of Copa America final

Former referee Carlos Chandia has shockingly admitted that he spared Lionel Messi from a yellow card after making an agreement that he could have his match-worn shirt.

Argentina already had one foot in the 2007 Copa America final when the incident occurred, Messi and co leading Mexico 3-0 with minutes to spare.

Speaking on the ESPN FShow, Chandia said: ‘out of nowhere, Messi lifts a ball and touches it with his hand, but in the middle of the pitch. 

‘There was no goal-scoring chance for the Mexican team or anything like that. So, I told him: ‘this is a yellow card, but it will cost you your jersey,’ and I didn’t show him the yellow card.

‘There were two-and-a-half minutes left, and the score was 3-0. Showing him a yellow card would would have taken away his chance of playing in the Copa America final (due to suspension).’  

‘He gave me the shirt in the dressing room afterwards. In fact, he wanted to take it off on the pitch and I told him: ‘No, no, no, no; take it to the dressing room’. And he came to the dressing room with the jersey and left it there for me.’

Chandia previously revealed that his son now has the shirt and that he believes his decision not to show Messi the card cost him his chance of refereeing the final.

He told TNT Chile: ‘I don’t remember the number, but I remember the smell. Not the best. My son has it now, he keeps it. 

Carlos Chandia admitted he let Messi off the yellow after he agreed to give him his shirt

‘The truth is that I think that because I didn’t give him the yellow card, Brazilians ended up saying something and that’s why I wasn’t the main referee of the Copa America final.’ 

Messi’s presence in the final ultimately made little difference, Brazilian winning 3-0 through an own goal from Roberto Ayala and strikes from Julio Baptista and Dani Alves.