‘I’ve dealt with enough players in my career, that’s what it is. … It’s just another way of dealing’: Lukas MacNaughton, a Nashville SC defender, said this about the CONCACAF Champions Cup encounter versus Lionel Messi

It was a showpiece game for Major League Soccer and Concacaf, with Nashville SC and Inter Miami playing an exciting, tactically sound opening leg of the Concacaf Champions Cup round of 16.

Despite Nashville’s early lead, Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez helped Inter Miami score two crucial away goals in their playoff series. The football world held their breath in the second half as defender Lukas MacNaughton went in hard on Lionel Messi’s leg. The best player of all time was on the ground for a while but was fine, while photographs of what could have been a major injury circulated around the world.

In less than 24 hours, Argentina and Messi fans have attacked the 29-year-old defender’s Instagram account with abusive messages.

Lukas MacNaughton family threatens

While some of the remarks were amusing, some were frightening, such as one Argentine user’s message “the next time you even breathe at our captain, say goodbye to your family”.

Other comments include “don’t touch Messi” and “Messi’s leg is worth more than MLS, Concacaf, and the entire sport.”

The majority of the comments are on MacNaughton’s most recent post, which received more than 2,000 responses. Then, on his second post, over 200 people commented on wedding photos, including one that read, “Argentines don’t forget”.