Germany might have won the FIFA World Cup but the saving grace for Argentina was that their talisman and skipper Lionel Messi walked away with the FIFA Golden Ball award.
Germany might have won the FIFA World Cup but the saving grace for Argentina was that their talisman and skipper Lionel Messi walked away with the FIFA Golden Ball award. Even though he missed a great opportunity to prove he is one of the greatest players of all time in Sunday’s World Cup final against Germany, the Barcelona forward was given this prestigious award which is awarded to the most influential player of the tournament. But did the diminutive Argentine deserve that award? Were FIFA biased in their decision to award Messi with the award? Here are our 5 reasons why WE think that Leo Messi did not deserve the award:
1 – Lionel Messi Did Not Turn Up For The Final
When his nation needed him the most, the skipper and main man, Leo Messi did not turn up for the final game against Germany at the Maracana stadium. Even though, he showed few glimpses of brilliance at the start, Messi’s magic faded away as the match progressed until the Germans captured it in Extra Time. So, it was truly unfair on the part of German winger Thomas Mueller, who was by far the standout performer at the tournament.
2 – Messi Is GREAT But Not The WORLD’s BEST!
When Diego Maradona won the FIFA World Cup for Argentina in 1986 against West Germany; the great man was almost marked out by the opposition defense but only to create the winning goal for compatriot Jorge Burruchaga. That displayed Maradona’s class and but that cannot be said of Messi who might share the same skills as the Argentine great but will have to wait for another World Cup to show his capability!
3 – Other Players Deserved That Honour
Barring Lionel Messi, the other candidates who could have won the Golden Ball was World Cup winning champion Thomas Mueller, James Rodriguez of Colombia or Brazil’s Neymar. The latter were very much influential for their teams going into this World Cup and FIFA should have given a ‘second thought’ before awarding that ‘Golden Ball’ award to Messi.
4 – Argentina’s Below-Par Tournament
Lionel Messi and his Argentina might have reached the finals of the World Cup but overall they had a ‘below par’ tournament. In the group stages, Messi had to score in the dying minutes to rescue his side against a brave Iran whereas goalie Sergio Romero stood out in their semi-final triumph over the Dutch.
5 – Club Over Country
It’s true that every player must shed the honours of performing for the country. Lionel Messi forgot to do so! Even though, he may be a hit at the Nou Camp but when he dons the international colours, the diminutive forward cuts a sorry figure. He is not the same player that scores a goal day in day out with Barcelona.
Messi is the third Argentine to receive the Golden Ball, after Mario Kempes and Diego Maradona to have claimed this award but alas, the forward is no ‘superhero’! For us, he is still a human being who can always make mistakes!
