The controversy surrounding Lionel Messi’s latest Ballon d’Or win isn’t for the first time. If we are talking about a couple of seasons back in 2021, when Messi was at PSG, his success story of winning the prestigious trophy for the seventh time surprised many. Many of them couldn’t digest the fact of Messi winning another Ballon d’Or back in 2021 including his son.
The particular victory was surrounded by controversy, as many argued that Robert Lewandowski deserved the prestigious award. Amidst the debate, a heartwarming and amusing moment unfolded when Messi’s son, Thiago, expressed his confusion about his father’s latest achievement.
Thiago Messi captured the essence of the confusion surrounding Lionel Messi’s seventh Ballon d’Or win in a candid moment. In a video that surfaced online, Thiago is seen questioning his father about the sudden appearance of a seventh Ballon d’Or trophy.
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Unaware of the ceremony, Thiago asks, “Why do you have seven Ballon d’Ors, Dad? Don’t you have six?” to which Messi replies “I have seven now,” Messi answers.
“Did you win it today? In the house there’s only six balls. When did you win it?” Thiago inquires; “Today,” Messi replies.
Lionel Messi scored 30 goals and went on to win the Copa del Rey with Barcelona that season. However, many believed that Robert Lewandowski should have been the rightful recipient. The Bayern Munich striker, who missed out on the award in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, had an outstanding season, breaking a 49-year-old Bundesliga scoring record.
Legends slam Lionel Messi’s ‘Undeserved’ 7th Ballon d’Or triumph
Lionel Messi’s seventh Ballon d’Or win over Polish international Robert Lewandowski didn’t sit well with few of the known soccer greats around the world. Four prominent figures voiced their opinion citing it as an “undeserved” triumph.
Real Madrid midfielder Toni Kroos was among the first to express his disagreement with the voting panel’s decision. Kroos, acknowledging Messi’s decade-long dominance alongside Cristiano Ronaldo, asserted, “It is absolutely not deserved. There should’ve been others ahead of him this year.”
🎙️ Toni Kroos on Messi’s rigged Bdor:
“It’s absolutely not deserved.”
“When I see the number of important goals scored by Cristiano recently, thanks to him Man United are still in the Champions League. In my opinion, Cristiano should be in front of Messi in the Ballon d’Or.” pic.twitter.com/1ZV4Eq5rhl
— Football Experts (@Futball_Experts) December 1, 2021
Former Real Madrid goalkeeper Iker Casillas also criticized the decision. Casillas took to X, and wrote, “Messi is one of the best, but you have to know who is the most outstanding player after the season. It’s not that hard.”
💬 Iker Casillas on Lionel Messi winning the Ballon d’Or: pic.twitter.com/kLrbrucVor
— MCCCSHCas (@MCCCSHCas) November 30, 2021
The criticism extended to Germany, where former Bayern Munich midfielder Lothar Matthaus blasted the decision to overlook Lewandowski. Expressing his disbelief, Matthaus stated, “Honestly, I don’t understand anything anymore.” He argued that Lewandowski’s achievements in the 2020 and 2021 seasons, including breaking Gerd Muller’s record, made him the undeniable choice for the Ballon d’Or.
Former Bayern Munich CEO Oliver Kahn added his voice to the dissent, congratulating Lionel Messi but emphasizing Lewandowski’s deserving candidacy. Kahn stated, “Lewandowski would have deserved both the Ballon d’Or and his top scorer trophy because he has performed absolutely at the highest level for years.”
The backlash against Messi’s Ballon d’Or win wasn’t limited to soccer personalities; as prominent sports publication Bild in Germany expressed their disapproval of Messi’s seventh Ballon d’Or victory,