2026 World Cup: Lercio Also Lashes Out at Daniele Adani
The strong support Daniele Adani showed for Argentina during his commentary on Rai’s coverage of the 2026 World Cup continues to spark debate. But that’s not all: in the hours following the Albiceleste’s victory over Cape Verde—with a masterpiece of a goal by Lionel Messi breaking the deadlock—the sarcasm also ran rampant. And among those who took aim at the former defender—who played for Brescia, Fiorentina, and Inter, among others—is a mainstay of online satire: Lercio.
In a post that quickly went viral, the popular satirical site published an image showing a particularly sullen Messi wearing the Argentina jersey. But it’s the caption that really takes aim at the World Cup commentator on Rai. “Messi announces he’ll avoid scoring any more goals so he doesn’t have to hear Adani yelling anymore,” writes ‘Lercio.’ It even attributes to the captain and symbol of the Albiceleste a quote that says it all: “He’s gotten on my nerves, too.”
What made the whole scene even more hilarious for internet pranksters, however, was the live reaction of commentator Alberto Rimedio, who, in the commentary booth, found a way to silence his exuberant colleague with a cutting retort. At the end of Adani’s verbal celebration of Messi’s goal—spiced with culinary metaphors about alfajores and references to “the greatest player soccer has ever given us”— — Rimedio stunned everyone with a single sentence: “And since any other words would be superfluous, let’s just enjoy the replay in silence.” The moment immediately went viral on social media, with comments like “Rimedio’s jabs at Adani are the real technical highlight of this match” and “There’s Rimedio, who wants to strangle Adani, and I’ve never empathized with someone as much as I do right now.”
It’s worth noting that the match against Cape Verde was actually the very first time Adani had commentated on an Argentina game in this 2026 World Cup. A deliberate logistical decision by RAI had, in fact, kept the commentator and his idol apart throughout the group stage: Adani was based in New Jersey, while the Albiceleste played their matches in Kansas City and Arlington, Texas. The wait had heightened the tension and expectations of the audience, who were well aware of what would happen the moment the two finally reunited in the same arena.
After all, earlier matches in this World Cup had already amply demonstrated the commentator’s irrepressible enthusiasm. Just a few days earlier, during the Ecuador-Germany match, Adani had let loose with an overwhelming celebration of Plata’s decisive goal, shouting, “New Jersey is collapsing! The whole stadium is dancing!” and sparking yet another social media debate about the impartiality expected of a public television commentator. And even earlier, while commentating on France vs. Senegal alongside Giuseppe Galati, he had called referee Alireza Faghani “the worst referee in World Cup history” and had rebuked unenthusiastic viewers with a resounding “you’re a bit weak-minded.” In short, it’s the same old story: Adani stirs up controversy, social media is divided, and ‘Lercio’ is grateful.
