The only player Lionel Messi wanted to humiliate — You won't believe who!
Lionel Messi has revealed that the one occasion he attempted to 'humiliate' an opponent throughout his football career was during Argentina's World Cup match against Poland in 2022. The Barcelona great admitted that he intended to disgrace Robert Lewandowski throughout the game.
'Lionel Messi.'
'Robert Lewandowski.'
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Messi was enraged by statements made by his opponent leading up to the 2021 Ballon d'Or presentation, in which Messi won the award for the seventh time in his career. Many, however, believed that Lewandowski should have won the award after scoring a Bundesliga-record 41 goals in just 29 games. And the striker's words after the ceremony assured that there was tension when they met at the World Cup.
Lewandowski's Ballon d'or statement 'bothered' Messi: 'I was very angry'
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Messi acknowledged Lewandowski's accomplishments at the Ballon d'Or event, mentioning the Polish striker in his acceptance speech in 2021: "I'd like to mention Robert [Lewandowski], it's been a real honour to compete with him." But it did not sit well with the then-Bayern Munich player.
Lewandowski later labeled Messi's comments as "empty words." That angered the Argentine, who threatened to humiliate his opponent the next time they met.
"Lewandowski's statement in 2021 bothered me because when I won the Ballon d'Or, I said what I really felt," Messi told ESPN at the time. "I ignored him during the game because it was him, and I was irritated and felt he shouldn't have said what he did. I was quite irritated. Was I intentionally dribbling because it was him? Yes."
Angel Di Maria, Messi's teammate, told Marca that he recognized what his partner was attempting to do to his opponent: "I realized it, you realized it, and my grandma realized it. These are his possessions, which occasionally remain within him. When you talk about him, he either sends you a note or confronts you in court.
Messi did, however, declare that the duo discussed their difficulties after the game, and that the entire situation was a mistake. Lewandowski has subsequently gone to Barcelona and questioned Messi about his experience at the Camp Nou.
"After that, we met, talked, and agreed that it was a misunderstanding," the Argentine said. "He was furious because what he stated contradicted what was reported. Then he flew to Barcelona, where we talked about everything from the team to the city."
