The coronation of Lionel Messi at The Best Trophies after a more than ordinary year 2023 obviously goes very badly.
FIFA has had its ears ringing since Monday evening and The Best Trophies ceremony. The fault of Lionel Messi’s victory, crowned to the detriment of Erling Haaland, overwhelming favorite after a year 2023 which saw him accumulate goals and be one of the major architects of the golden season of Manchester City, winner of the Champions League, the Club World Cup, the Premier League and the FA Cup.
Lionel Messi only had to oppose him the title of champion of France won with PSG as well as an anecdotal Leagues Cup with Inter Miami. Above all, the Argentinian world champion was unremarkable throughout the year, his adventure in the capital ending in bitterness and under the whistles of the Parisian public. However, his aura and the world champion title won in December 2022 were enough to allow him to win a new The Best Trophy, causing indignation around the world.
The most upset are obviously the Norwegians, several titles in the local press purely and simply mentioning ” scandal “, like Daglabet or Norskrikskringkasting. The Norwegian media also regret “a joke in bad taste” and point the finger at the compromise of FIFA. In England too, there is astonishment, with the Times speaking of“a very strange decision” and the Manchester Eveving News regretting a “an aberrant result which dishonors FIFA”.
In Spain, Marca is the most scathing, the victory of Lionel Messi “having seriously torpedoed the credibility of Fifa, the big loser of the evening”. The story is the same in Italy where Tuttosport mentions “a ludicrous result which risks depreciating The Best Trophies a little more.”
