Messi throws a headbutt and escapes with just a booking

It happens to the best of us.

For a man who spends much of his time on the pitch being fouled, Lionel Messi is usually a remarkably calm character.

In his first game for Barcelona after an all-conquering 2014-15 season, the normally unflappable Messi was at the centre of a headbutting controversy on Wednesday.

Messi reacted angrily after being confronted by Yanga-Mbiwa, and seemed to push his head into the former Newcastle player’s face before attempting to grab him by the throat.

It was not known what Yanga-Mbiwa might have said to cause Messi to act the way he did. Yanga-Mbiwa appeared to initiate the contact, leaning in with his forehead, and Messi responded by head-butting the French defender and then reaching for his throat.

Messi was irate about the below hit from Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa.

The flashpoint represented a rare loss of cool for Messi.

It’s unclear what provoked the incident, but in the 34th minute Messi and Yanga-Mbiwa came face-to-face, with the Argentine clearly upset about something.

Barcelona emerged victorious with a 3-0 scoreline, and it was the first time the Catalan fans were able to see Messi, Neymar and Luis Suarez reunited up front in pre-season.

The 28-year-old Argentinian only drew a yellow card for an act that included a choke.