'He told me to shut my mouth': Lionel Messi and Brazil coach Tite exchange heated words during Argentina-Brazil clash

Argentina captain Lionel Messi and Brazil head coach Tite exchanged words on the sideline during Argentina's 1-0 win over their South American rivals in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Friday

Apparently angered by comments that were coming from the Brazil dugout, Messi raised his finger to his own lips in a mime for Tite to be quiet and also making another hand sign to suggest that the Brazilian was very overly-vocal.

Speaking to reporters after the game, Tite admitted that he had been complaining to the referee about aspects of the game during the first half, which prompted Messi to tell him to be quiet.

"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 said. "And that was it."

However, Tite was keen to not make too much of the situation and praised the performance of Argentina's number ten, who was outstanding throughout the game after making his comeback from suspension.

The Barcelona ace scored the game's only goal on 14 minutes, burying a rebound after his initial penalty was saved by Liverpool shot-stopper Alisson. His performance could, and probably should, have merited another goal but he was frustrated by a robust Brazilian rearguard.

"From the very start we tried to play. We had a couple of misses and they had their chances," Messi said after the game. "But in the second half we were much better.

"When you win, it puts you more at ease and that is very positive for what lies ahead. I ended the match well, we all ran quite a bit. And that is what we were there to do."