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#3 "Messi is Messi when he plays for Barcelona and he's another Messi with Argentina"
Messi's biggest hurdle since making his international debut in 2005 has been the weight of expectation. A player who has virtually won it all with Barcelona, his record with Argentina has not been as prolific. Before his Copa America triumph earlier this year, Messi had only managed one U-20 World Cup and an Olympic Gold with the national team.
A major reason for this has been related to Messi's leadership style. He is often seen as a player who prefers to let the ball do the talking on the pitch. Not many view him as a vocal leader. This is a quality that many attribute to the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Diego Maradona in the GOAT debate.
The late Maradona himself has often criticized Messi for the difference in performances with Barcelona and Argentina. Three years ago, Messi decided to take a brief sabbatical from national duties as Argentina crashed out to France in the Round of 16 at the 2018 World Cup. Maradona was then quoted as saying:
"We shouldn't deify Messi any longer. He's Messi when he plays for Barcelona. Messi is Messi when he wears that shirt and he's another Messi with Argentina."
He also went on to criticize Messi's leadership by stating:
"He's a great player but he's not a leader. It's useless trying to make a leader out of a man who goes to the toilet 20 times before a game."
#2 "Messi only has one skill"
Another controversial quote from 2018, this one came from football legend Pele. The former Brazilian international was questioned whether he agreed with people who opine that Messi was the greatest player of all time. Pele responded by saying:
"How can you make a comparison between a guy who heads the ball well, shoots with the left, shoots with the right and another who only shoots with one leg, only has one skill and doesn't head the ball well?"
Pele's next statement clarified that he was comparing Messi to himself. He said:
"How can you compare? To compare with Pele, it has to be someone who shoots well with the left, shoots well with the right, and scores headers."
#1 Decision to award Messi the Golden Ball at WC 2014 was "incorrect"
Back in 2014, Messi led Argentina to the World Cup final. Despite having numerous chances to score the opening goal, Albiceleste crumbled under pressure against Germany. The Germans eventually won the match thanks to an extra-time winner from Mario Gotze.
Messi looked dejected as he won the Golden Ball, awarded to the best player at the tournament. He scored four goals and provided one assist during the course of the tournament as Argentina mounted an unexpected run to the final. Messi reportedly kept muttering "the best, but not the champion," as he received the individual award. This was revealed by former FIFA president Sepp Blatter in 2016.
However, a more controversial quote from Blatter arrived a few months after the 2014 World Cup final. The Swiss claimed:
"I think the decision (to award Messi the Golden Ball) was incorrect. I was surprised when I received the committee's decision. They told me they had only looked at 10 of the players who took part in the final."
Despite failing to score in the knockout rounds, Messi was instrumental in Argentina's run to the finals. He scored four of Argentina's six group-stage goals, including a 90th-minute winner over Iran. Messi also assisted Angel di Maria's extra-time winner against Switzerland in the Round of 16.
