“This is crazy but it’s true” - When Pique explained why he did not congratulate Lionel Messi after winning World Cup
Gerard Pique has admitted that he was among those who did not congratulate his former Barcelona teammate Lionel Messi on winning the World Cup in 2022. The Spaniard claimed that he had disconnected from the tournament as it was just weeks after he announced his sudden retirement.
Speaking to TikToker John Nellis, Pique revealed that he saw a part of the final between Argentina and France - the only match he had seen at the 2022 FIFA World Cup. He added that it was a time he disconnected from the sport, leading to him missing out on wishing Messi.
"Erm... not really. This is crazy but it's true, I was disconnected from the World Cup. Since my retirement I needed to disconnect from sport, so I didn't watch any games apart from the final - and not the whole game," he said.
However, Pique still believes Messi is the GOAT and named the Argentina ace over Cristiano Ronaldo.
"Well, it's true that the fight between them two in the last decade was quite impressive because both of them did incredibly well. I think that in terms of talent, Messi is number one, for sure. It's true that Cristiano has worked very hard to try and compete and fight for that first spot but if you see the careers of both... I would choose Messi, for sure," he added.
Gerrard Pique has shared the dressing room with Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. While he played 506 matches with the Argentine ace at Barcelona, he featured in 15 games with the Portuguese icon at Manchester United.
Lionel Messi was disappointed with PSG's reception after World Cup win
Lionel Messi has never spoken about Gerard Pique not wishing him after the FIFA World Cup win. However, he admitted that he wanted more recognition from his then-employers Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) for the win in Qatar.
He said in an interview with ESPN Argentina:
"I was the only player of the [squad] that didn't get a [club] recognition. It was understandable ... because of us [Argentina], they didn't retain the World Cup."
PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi was quick to reveal the reason behind the club's decision and said via GOAL:
"For me, like I said, if anyone talks about the fact that we didn't celebrate him enough after he won the World Cup, we're in France and he won against Kylian. We are a French club. I don't want the whole stadium to be against him either. I think we have to respect that."
Lionel Messi left PSG last summer and moved to MLS outfit Inter Miami. He is now gearing up for the Copa America, with Argentina being the defending champions.