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 surprisingly admitted sparing Lionel Messi a yellow card after reaching a deal to let him keep his match-worn shirt.

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

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

‘There was no chance for the Mexican team to score or anything like that. So I told him: ‘this is a yellow card, but it will cost you your shirt’, 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 have taken away his chance of playing in the Copa America final (due to suspension).’

‘He gave me the shirt afterwards in the locker room. In fact, he wanted to take it off on the pitch and I said to him: ‘No, no, no, no; take it to the locker room’. And he came to the locker room with the shirt 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 the chance to referee the final.

He told TNT Chile: ‘I don’t remember the number, but I do remember the smell. It’s not the best. My son has it now, he still has it.

Carlos Chandia admitted that he let Messi go after agreeing to give him his shirt

‘The truth is that I think that by not giving him the yellow card the Brazilians ended up saying something and that’s why I wasn’t the main referee for the Copa America final.’

Messi’s presence in the final ultimately made little difference, as the Brazilian won 3-0 thanks to an own goal from Roberto Ayala and goals from Julio Baptista and Dani Alves.