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Fans have concluded that Lionel Messi's cryptic picture of himself lifting the FIFA World Cup trophy is a dig at Karim Benzema. His Instagram story post comes after the Real Madrid striker took swipes at missing out to the Argentine in being named FIFA's Best Player of the Year.
The Paris Saint-Germain attacker beat Benzema and his Parisian teammate Kylian Mbappe to the award on Monday (February 27). He was honored for his remarkable 2022 FIFA World Cup campaign, captaining Argentina to the trophy in Qatar.
However, Benzema seems to have taken issue with Messi picking up the award in Paris. He posted a video on his Instagram account of a Frenchman saying:
"Liar, yes, you liar."
The Real Madrid striker followed up the post by posting a list of his achievements from last August until the end of the FIFA nomination period for Player of the Year. Lionel Messi has seemingly responded with a telling post on his Instagram story. He uploaded two pictures of himself celebrating winning the FIFA World Cup.
Fans immediately concluded that the Argentine was snapping back at the Madrid striker. One fan said that he was telling his French counterpart to cry:
"He's literally telling Benzema to cry, my (goat)."
Meanwhile, another fan suggested that Messi was responding to his haters:
"Lol Messi is literally killing haters."
Here's how Twitter reacted to Lionel Messi's intriguing Instagram story:
Lionel Messi and Benzema both merit placing in the top three of FIFA's Player of the Year award. The PSG forward scored 11 goals and provided 15 assists in 34 games across competitions for the Parisians last season. He lifted the Ligue 1 title in his debut campaign at the Parc des Princes.
However, his performance at the FIFA World Cup in Qatar was one to remember. He scored seven goals and provided three assists, winning not only the tournament but also being named the Golden Ball winner.
Meanwhile, the Real Madrid frontman didn't feature at the FIFA World Cup after suffering an injury on the eve of the competition. However, the French forward enjoyed a remarkable 2021-22 campaign at club level. He scored 44 goals and contributed 15 assists in 46 appearances, captaining Los Blancos to a La Liga and UEFA Champions League double.
Lionel Messi tipped Benzema to win the 2022 Ballon d'Or
Lionel Messi wasn't even among the 30-man nominees listed for the 2022 Ballon d'Or. The Argentine had a difficult start at PSG by his standards which led to his omission. Benzema was handed the award for the first time in his career following his Champions League and La Liga heroics.
The PSG forward tipped the Madrid striker to win the award last June. He told TyC Sports:
"I think there's no doubt, it's very clear that Benzema has had a spectacular year and he ended it winning the Champions League, being fundamental from the last 16 onwards in every game. I think there's no doubt this year."
The Los Blancos captain responded to the Argentine's praise, saying in a statement:
"I heard Messi's words and they made me happy, very happy coming from a player like that. They give me motivation to do more."
Unfortunately, it appears that will be the last time the duo exchange pleasantries amid the spat over FIFA's Player of the Year award.
