Apparently making 3 out of 6 World Cup finals and winning 1 of them is more embarrassing than making 0 out of 6 World Cup finals. Strange world we live in
Declan Rice covered his mouth twice while talking within a matter of seconds, just like Cucurella did in the final.
So how is Messi informing the referee about the same thing in the final suddenly a problem?
In the last four World Cup finals, only two runners-up stayed on the pitch until the trophy presentation: Argentina in 2014 and Argentina in 2026.
Not Croatia, Not France. Did anyone say anything during that time? No, because that wouldn't get clicks.
Guess which country is now being criticized and accused of disrespecting the winners simply for going over to acknowledge their own fans? Argentina, of course.
❗️Leo Messi gave World Cup match tickets to people who couldn’t afford them, including the family of Cape Verde goalkeeper Josimar Vozinha. @yanilatorre 🇦🇷❤️🇨🇻
🇪🇸 Rodri for Spain this World Cup:
⚽️ 0 goals
🎯 0 assists
✅ Golden Ball
🇦🇷 Messi for Argentina this World Cup:
⚽️ 8 goals
🎯 4 assists
❌ Golden Ball
Was Messi robbed!? 👀
Argentina weren’t the same as they were in the last World Cup. This wasn’t a smooth ride, it was a battle from start to finish. They suffered, fought, bled, and sweated for every victory, while all some people could talk about was a “rigged” tournament. Their resilience, togetherness, and refusal to give up deserved far more respect than they ever received.
It was an honor rooting for you 🇦🇷🧉
🚨🗣️New: Zlatan Ibrahimovic on why Messi deserves the FIFA Golden Ball award over Rodri despite Argentina losing the World Cup final to Spain:
“People are looking too much at the final result and forgetting the entire story. Football is not only about who lifts the trophy; it is about who changes the game, who carries the weight, who makes millions of people believe.
Rodri has had an incredible tournament, nobody can deny that. But Messi at 39 years old came to this World Cup carrying expectations that would break most players. He was not supposed to dominate at this age, he was not supposed to control games at this level, but he did.
He was the heartbeat of Argentina. Every opponent knew the plan was simple: stop Messi. But they still couldn’t. He created moments, he produced magic, he led his country to the final. That is greatness.
If we only give awards to the winners, then we are not rewarding the best player, we are rewarding the team that won the last match. A final can decide history, but it should not erase a month of brilliance.
At 39, Messi was not chasing records. He was writing a story that football may never see again. You don’t measure that with one medal. You measure it by impact, influence, and moments that nobody else can create.
The Golden Ball should go to the player who was the most special at this World Cup. For me, that player was Lionel Messi.”