During the Leagues Cup semifinal victory, Lionel Messi displays his harsh side by engaging Philadelphia Union’s Jose Martinez in a heated altercation.

In Tuesday night’s victory over the Philadelphia Union, Lionel Messi displayed his tough exterior by engaging in a heated staredown with Jose Martinez, a rival midfielder.

In the closing moments of the game in Philadelphia, Messi addressed the midfielder and seemed to accuse him of kicking Noah Allen, a teammate from Miami, as he was attempting to shield the ball while falling over in the 90th minute.

Messi reportedly said, “How are you going to kick him to the ground like that?” as he ran over the stand-up for his teammate. He gave the Philadelphia player the cold eye.

Before the referee stepped in to mediate, standing between the two players as Messi turned around and walked away, he maintained his gaze on Martinez.

As he scored his ninth goal in his sixth Miami game on Tuesday night, the World Cup winner had the last laugh and helped his club advance to the Leagues Cup final.

Miami took the lead through Josef Martinez in just the third minute, then Messi doubled the advantage with a fantastic goal in the 20th.

As Martinez sprinted forward after the ball was flicked into his path, he realized he had enough time to attempt a field goal from about 35 yards out.

His skillfully executed shot fooled Union goalie Andre Blake, nestling into the far corner and beyond the keeper’s grasp.

While Union scored a goal back in the second half, a true comeback never happened, and Miami’s David Ruiz scored to secure the victory. Messi’s new Miami teammate Jordi Alba made it three.

“We fought our way through to the finals and we won!!! After the game, Messi posted on Instagram, “We’re still on the last step.”

The last instance Messi alludes to will take place on Saturday, with Nashville SC the only team standing in Miami’s way of a Leagues Cup victory.