Controversy Surrounds Messi’s Eighth Ballon d’Or Win, Ronaldo Reacts

Lionel Messi made history on Monday by winning a record-breaking eighth Ballon d’Or trophy, with his remarkable 2022-23 season, which included leading Argentina to World Cup victory in Qatar, being a standout moment.

While many celebrated Messi’s deserved recognition, there were dissenting voices, including Spanish journalist Tomas Roncero, who voiced his opinion in a video for Diario AS. Roncero argued that the award should have gone to Manchester City’s Erling Haaland.

In the video, Roncero stated, “Hello friends. What we knew has happened. They gave another Ballon d’Or to Messi. He went to retire at (Inter) Miami, but he was already looking retired at PSG to prepare for the World Cup. He won the World Cup, yes, well, but with 6 penalties in his favor.”

He continued, “The World Cup was 10 months ago; we’re in November. Messi has eight Ballon d’Ors, well, he should have five. He has the Ballon d’Ors of Iniesta and Xavi, Lewandowski – who won six trophies in one season – and Haaland, who was the top scorer of everything.”

Diario AS shared the video on Instagram, which caught the attention of Cristiano Ronaldo. The Portuguese football legend, who had a legendary rivalry with Messi for many years, reacted by liking the post and commenting with several laughing emojis.

Ronaldo’s response suggests that he may have shared the view that Messi’s Ballon d’Or award was undeserved. However, it’s safe to say that Messi, now at Inter Miami, likely isn’t too concerned about the opinions of his former rival at this stage in his career.