While winning a title with the worst-rated team in MLS was easy for Lionel Messi, helping Argentina win Mr. Beast’s Olympics has proven to be just the opposite. Messi recently became the most decorated soccer player of all time after winning the Leagues Cup. However, all of this wasn’t enough to guide Argentina to success in the recently organized YouTube Olympics.
Popular YouTuber James Stephen Donaldson, who goes by the name of MrBeast, recently conceptualized his own Olympics. Calling it “the most extreme version of the Olympics ever created,” Mr. Beast, who has 178 million subscribers, flew in one of his subscribers from every country on earth for the competition. The competition featured normal Olympic events like track and field, gymnastics, soccer, and so on, but with a twist.
For example, the first event was a track and field hurdle race. However, the twist was that the runners had to cross the finish line before a giant wall closed. Although Argentina managed to complete the first round, they got eliminated in the second. The second event was a rather unique obstacle race, in which the Argentine participant was eliminated.
Libya won the first Olympic gold medal hosted by Mr.Beast, worth around $250,000. Congratulations Libya 🇱🇾 #MrBeast #Libiya #MrBeastOlympic pic.twitter.com/OqcfEInu3O
— AWO Zone (@BCW_Arman69) August 19, 2023
Although he got eliminated, his fellow competitors tried to encourage him by chanting Lionel Messi‘s name. However, the 2022 World Cup winning captain’s name wasn’t enough for the person to complete the winning. Nevertheless, it was Libya that ultimately won Mr. Beast’s Olympics, defeating Slovenia in the last event to take home a 20-pound gold medal worth $250,000.
Has Lionel Messi ever won the Olympics?
Although Lionel Messi couldn’t help Argentina win Mr. Beast’s Olympics, he has won an Olympic gold medal in his career. Back in 2008, Messi’s Argentina won the gold medal in the Beijing Olympics. The Argentine icon even once revealed that winning the Olympic gold medal was one of the favorite moments of his almost two-decade-long career.
2020 is an @Olympics year 🎉🇯🇵
Throwback to the time @10Ronaldinho & Leo Messi faced off in the Beijing 2008 semi-final
🤗 🇦🇷🤝🇧🇷 🤗#TBT | #ThrowbackThursday pic.twitter.com/RxnjUdyyzW
— FIFA (@FIFAcom) January 2, 2020
During an interview in 2017, Messi said, “The Olympic gold in 2008 is the win that I value the most. It is a tournament that you may play only once in your life and involves many athletes from different disciplines.” Although Lionel Messi nearly missed out on participating in the Olympic games. Before the Beijing Olympics kicked off, Messi’s former club FC Barcelona refused to allow him to join the national team.
With the club’s Champions League qualification hanging by a thread, Barca didn’t want to release their best player in the squad. However, Messi was rescued by the then-Barca coach Pep Guardiola, who permitted him to play in the Olympics. Messi, who went on to put up an incredible show at the Beijing Olympics, still fondly remembers this gesture from the current Manchester City coach.