“If they gave him a World Cup, a Leagues Cup is nothing” – Mexican journalist claims cup final was scripted for Lionel Messi
It seems that no matter what Lionel Messi achieves, there will always be sceptics to put a question mark on his accomplishments. His victory at the Leagues Cup with Inter Miami bears no exception, with certain people adamant about proving that the competition has been rigged to favour the Argentinian legend.
A Mexican journalist from the TUDN network, Agus Chavez, recently made headlines after his controversial statements on the Leagues Cup. Through a post on his official X (formerly known as Twitter) account, Chavez questioned Nashville goalkeeper Elliot Panicco's performance in the final, suggesting it to be an orchestrated one.
According to the journalist, Panicco had a stellar outing against fellow Mexican side America but failed to replicate that form against Lionel Messi's side. The conclusion interpreted by Chavez was that the Leagues Cup was 'given away' to the 36-year-old forward, just like what happened in the 2022 World Cup. His tweet read as follows,
"The Nashville goalkeeper on penalties against America was the very same (Gianluigi) Buffon , and against Inter Miami I didn't even guess. The Messi Cup. If they gave him a World Cup, a Leagues Cup is nothing."
Such analysis by Chavez comes as no surprise, considering his cynical take on Lionel Messi in the past. The media personality had recently put out a post comparing La Pulga's World Cup victory in Qatar to Cristiano Ronaldo's recent acquisition of the Arab Club Champions Cup, captioning it:
"A championship well won /// A championship given away. There will always be many differences."
As expected, the majority response to his outlandish posts has been in favour of Lionel Messi, criticising Chavez for his biased journalism. While the debates continue to rage on, the little magician continues to answer his critics on the pitch by winning accolades left, right and centre.
Lionel Messi recently became the most decorated player in football history
Messi's maiden title with Inter Miami was an extra special one for the former Barcelona man as it made him the most successful player in footballing history in terms of titles won. The 2022 World Cup winner has now accumulated 44 pieces of silverware in his 19-year-long career, the most by any player.
Apart from winning one trophy with his latest club, Lionel Messi has amassed five trophies with his national side and a further three with French outfit PSG. Nevertheless, Catalonia was the place where he made his name, winning a staggering 35 trophies with Barcelona.
The best ever? Maybe. A bona fide legend of the game? Without question.