During a 2022 FIFA World Cup game between Argentina and Poland, Lionel Messi was seen seemingly intentionally trying to humiliate Robert Lewandowski with the ball at his feet! He has since explained why he did it, and here is our reaction.
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It was obvious to anyone who was paying attention at the time that, during the Albiceleste's 2-0 win over Poland in Qatar, Messi was purposely trying to make Lewandowski look a fool! He picked up the ball in midfield and instead of advancing up the field like he normally would, slowed down and attempted to dribble the Polish forward. Lewandowski ultimately fouled him before a small tussle ensued, but why, in the first place, did Messi seek to demean the former Bayern Munich man? Let's take a look at exactly what the 36-year-old Inter Miami superstar has since said.
Messi: "Lewandowski's statement in 2021 bothered me because when I won the Ballon d'Or, I said what I really felt. I ignored him during the game because it was him and I was angry and thought he shouldn't have said what he said. I was very angry. If I was deliberately dribbling because it was him? Yes."
Kurt: What statement? Two years ago, Messi accepted his seventh Ballon d'Or at a ceremony in Paris, but his triumph didn't get the reaction he perhaps thought it deserved! Many believed Lewandowski would have been a worthy victor, especially after France Football, the organisers of the award, decided to cancel the 2020 ceremony in a year in which Lewandowski was utterly dominant. Even Messi acknowledged this in his speech, saying on stage he thought the Pole should have a Ballon d'Or award at his home. Lewandowski, however, caused a stir when he later said: "I would like it (Messi's 2020 Ballon d'Or speech) to be a sincere and courteous statement from a great player and not just empty words." Messi has since admitted to being hurt by those remarks, and that his actions at the World Cup last year were motivated by them. However, his feelings towards the Barcelona forward appears to have changed.
Messi: "After that, we met and talked and agreed that it was a misunderstanding. He was upset because what he said didn't match what was reported. Then he went to Barcelona and we talked about many things about the club, the city and everything."
Kurt: It is unclear as to whether, when Messi says he and Lewandowski "met" and cleared the air, it was directly after Argentina defeated Poland or at a later stage. I'm glad Messi has moved on from the incident, and from the comments Lewandowski made, because I do see how those quotes could have easily been misinterpreted. Prior to them, the Polish international only ever had good things to say about the former Catalan club No. 10, and might have been sincere when he said he hoped Messi was speaking from the heart.
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I have no doubt the then-Paris Saint-Germain player did truly believe Lewandowski deserved success in 2020, and therefore I can also understand why Messi was taken aback when he saw the striker's supposed response to his comments. Furthermore, the comments might have been accompanied by a headline intending to create controversy, meaning Messi's mind was probably already made up before reading them in full!
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