Wout Weghorst: Called out by Lionel Messi in the World Cup, now he's forced to leave his club

Wout Weghorst made an impact coming off the bench for the Netherlands against Argentina at the 2022 World Cup quarterfinals, but it wasn’t enough to knock out Lionel Messi and company.

To make things worse, the striker was called out by the 7x Ballon d’Or winner at the end of the game. “Anda pa’allá, bobo (Keep moving, idiot),” Messi yelled at Weghorst in his post-game interview.

The 31-year-old’s impressive performance was overshadowed by that moment, which continues to be remembered even months later. Now, Weghorst has to try his luck at a new club.

Weghorst joins Hoffenheim on loan after brief Man United stint

Weghorst has been loaned for the third straight transfer window. After six months at Manchester United, Weghorst will have to leave the Premier League as Burnley sent him to Hoffenheim for the 2023-24 season.

“Dear Manchester United fans,” he said in a farewell message to the Red Devils. “Thanks for everything. I really enjoyed every single second at this club, from winning silverware to scoring my first goal, against Betis at Old Trafford. Dreams came true. Unbelievably proud to wear the badge. Wish you all the best for the future. Manchester United fans – thank you for everything.”

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Wout Weghorst on his World Cup spat with Lionel Messi: "At least I did something right"

The veteran striker, who joined the Clarets for £12m in January 2022, had spent time on loan at Besiktas before his Old Trafford move. Now he’ll be far from the Premier League spotlight, but the Bundesliga was great for him in the past. In 118 appearances for Wolfsburg, Weghorst recorded an impressive 59 goals.