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Former Chile striker Mauricio Pinilla is not convinced that Lionel Messi is a deserving winner of the 2023 Ballon d'Or award.
On Monday, La Pulga, 36, created history by winning a record-extending eighth Ballon d'Or, beating Manchester City striker Erling Haaland and his former PSG teammate Kylian Mbappe.
Messi won the award largely due to his superlative exploits in Argentina's 2022 FIFA World Cup triumph. The 36-year-old bagged seven goals and three assists, scoring in all four knockout round, including a brace in the final, as La Albiceleste ended a 36-year wait for the World Cup.
He has made a good start to life in the MLS, with Inter Miami, whom he joined this summer on a free transfer, bagging 11 goals and five assists in 14 games across competitions. However, speaking to ESPN, Pinilla said that it's almost a farce that a player in the MLS has won the prestigious Ballon d'Or.
"If you win the Ballon d'Or playing in the MLS, it means that we are all crazy, or that the MLS has become a world power in terms of sports."
The 2015-16 Copa America winner - who beat Messi's Argentina in both finals - added that the World Cup triumph seemingly mattered the most in Messi's Ballon d'Or win:
"The World Cup totally weighed, I don't know why we make awards for the entire year if in the end only one competition counts. Overall, it doesn't seem to me that Messi has been the best."
With his eighth triumph, Messi is now three ahead of his arch-rival Cristiano Ronaldo in the all-time Ballon d'Or leaderboard.
"Becoming world champion was the title we were missing" - Lionel Messi after winning Ballon d'Or triumph
Lionel Messi thanked his Argentina fans and teammates as he 'completed football' after winning the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. Making his fifth appearance at the quadrennial event, Messi and Co. went all the way in a memorable game.
Leading from the front, Messi finished one goal less than the Golden Boot winner Kylian Mbappe (8) but won the Golden Ball award. That made him the only player to do so twice, having done so in 2014, when Argentina lost to Germany in the final.
After winning his eighth Ballon d'Or award earlier this week, Messi said (as per Time):
“Tonight I’m enjoying myself. It’s a pleasure that will never leave me, and I hope to be able to enjoy it for many years to come. Becoming world champion was the title we were missing. I’d like to thank everyone who helped make Argentina the world champion team.”
Lionel Messi is now in off-season with his club side Inter Miami, who were knocked out of postseason reckoning after ending 14th in the 15-team MLS Eastern Conference.
