"2019 and 2021 Ballons d'Or all over again" - Fans react as Lionel Messi's goal for PSG against Benfica voted UCL Goal of the Tournament
Lionel Messi's goal for Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) against Benfica in the group stages of the UEFA Champions League was selected as the best goal of the tournament this season.
Messi scored a curler against Benfica in Portugal as the game between the two sides ended in a 1-1 stalemate. It was a great effort from the Argentine. However, the consensus notion from the fans is that there were better goals.
One fan expressed that opinion, writing on Twitter:
"Rodri robbed."
Another wrote:
"itβs the 2019 and 2021 balon dorβs all over again."
The Argentine won the Ballon d'Or in 2019 after helping Barcelona retain their La Liga crown, scoring 46 goals and providing 17 assists. He won the award once again in 2021 after leading Argentina to the Copa America, their first senior international title since 1993.
The 2022-23 was Messi's last season in the Champions League as the Argentina captain will start a new chapter in his career next at the MLS club Inter Miami. PSG were eliminated from the round of 16 by Bayern Munich in 2022-23. However, Lionel Messi still managed to win the Goal of the Tournament award.
Fans were not in agreement with the decision and here are some more Twitter reactions to the same:
The Goal of the Tournament results are in... π₯
Congrats, Leo Messi! π
#UCLGOTT | @Heineken https://t.co/I4JDZF9xN1
@ChampionsLeague @Heineken Rodri robbed
@ChampionsLeague @Heineken There were at least 10 better goals than this, unbeatable PR from pessi again ππ
@ChampionsLeague @_abdulmajeed09 @Heineken itβs the 2019 and 2021 balon dorβs all over again
@ChampionsLeague @Heineken Wtf? How is this the best goal? This Messi goal doesn't deserve to be in the top 10.
We cannot beat Messi's PR, it's literally impossible ππ twitter.com/ChampionsLeaguβ¦ https://t.co/RcZpqwhBZp
Lionel Messi recently spoke about his difficult start at PSG
Lionel Messi spent two seasons at PSG but it wasn't easy for him to adapt to France. Messi struggled especially in his first season, scoring 11 goals and providing 15 assists in 34 matches across competitions.
The Argentina captain recently revealed that it was difficult for him at the start of his stint in the French capital. This isn't too surprising given that Messi spent the majority of his career at Barcelona. The Argentine told beIN SPORT:
"I came to Paris because I liked the club, I had friends, a lot of people I knew in the dressing room. It seemed to me that, beyond what the club was, I was going to have a much easier adaptation to any other side that I could go. That's why I decided to come. The adaptation was very difficult, much more than I expected."
He continued:
"Beyond the fact that I had known people in the locker room, it was difficult to adapt to the change, being late, not having a preseason. Adapting to a new way of playing, new teammates, the city, to which it was very difficult for me and my whole family to adapt to at the beginning."
Fans will now want to keep a keen eye on how Lionel Messi performs in the MLS with Inter Miami. He is expected to make his debut on July 21 against Cruz Azul. The Argentine forward and his family should have an easier adaptation to life in America as he already has an apartment in Miami, which he bought back in 2019.