"You will not find any guy more respectful than Messi" - Brazil legend defends Argentina captain and says 'it is not worth answering' to Canelo

Brazilian midfielder Felipe Melo has defended Lionel Messi after boxing superstar Canelo Alvarez accused the Argentina captain of disrespecting Mexico.

The seven-time Ballon d'Or winner fired Argentina to a much-needed 2-0 victory over Mexico in the FIFA World Cup on Saturday (26 November). The win saw La Albiceleste, who lost to Saudi Arabia in their opener, keep their hopes of progressing into the Round of 16 alive.

Lionel Scaloni and Co. expressed their relief as they celebrated their victory in the dressing room after the game. In a video that emerged online, Messi also appeared to be in a jolly mood.

Mexican boxer Canelo Álvarez has went off on Lionel Messi on Twitter. He claims Lionel Messi cleaned/wiped the floor with a shirt of the Mexican national team. A video shows Messi was removing his boots. twitter.com/elmasgrande123…

However, the Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) superstar seemingly did not notice a Mexico jersey lying on the floor and appeared to kick it. It certainly did not go unnoticed by fans, especially boxing superstar Alvarez.

Alvarez took to social media to express his discontent and accused the forward of disrespecting his country Mexico. Offended by the player's actions, the boxer went on a rant on social media.

Former Argentina centre-forward Sergio Aguero quickly came to Messi's defense, rubbishing Alvarez's claims. The two have since been involved in a full-on feud on Twitter.

Felipe Melo has now provided his thoughts on claims that the Albiceleste skipper disrespected Mexico. The Fluminense midfielder defended the fellow South American and insisted that does not deserve a reply. He told TNT Sports:

"You will not find any guy more respectful than Messi, it is not worth answering Canelo."

FELIPE MELO 🤝 MESSI
❌ CANELO

#TNTSportsMundial https://t.co/VaOH5XeeNM

Apart from Aguero and Felipe Melo, former Mexico defender Miguel Layun has also sided with the PSG superstar. In a tweet addressed to Alvarez, he shared his thoughts:

"Brother, you have always defended Mexico as few others have done, you have made millions of us feel proud. I share my opinion. We leave the shirts on the floor because they are sweaty and normally they take them to wash before handing them over, he takes off his shoe and touches it, that's it."

Messi is focused on winning the World Cup with Argentina

While Alvarez is convinced that Messi disrespected Mexico, the forward is focused on winning the World Cup with Argentina. The tournament in Qatar is his fifth and likely last World Cup campaign.

La Albiceleste are currently placed second in Group C of the World Cup with three points from two matches. A win against Poland in their final group game on Wednesday (30 November) will see them book their place in the Round of 16.