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Brazil boss Tite: Messi 'told me to shut my mouth'

FAYEZ NURELDINE / AFP / Getty

There was nothing friendly about the latest installment of South America's biggest rivalry when Brazil and Argentina faced off in Saudi Arabia.

Lionel Messi marked his return to international football following a three-month suspension by scoring the winning goal, lifting Argentina to a 1-0 victory over Brazil on Friday.

But an incident with Brazil manager Tite added fuel to an already fierce matchup, as Messi put his finger to his lips and gestured for the 58-year-old to stop talking.

"I complained because he (Messi) should have been shown a yellow card and he told me to shut my mouth and I told him to shut his mouth," Tite told reporters, according to Reuters. "And that was it."

Although Tite somewhat downplayed the exchange, Brazil captain Thiago Silva took offense to Messi's behavior, calling on the Barcelona star to set a better example on the pitch.

"It's hard because we talk so much about education and one of the most admired guys in football tells... I won't say an old man, because he'll be mad at me, but to tell a coach to shut his mouth," he said, as translated by ESPN FC. "As much as you have rivalry, education must come first."

The clash was Messi's first in an Argentina shirt since being issued an international ban in August that lasted four matches for accusing CONMEBOL, South America's football governing body, of corruption during last summer's Copa America.

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