List Of Lionel Messi Controversies

There is absolutely no doubt Lionel Messi is just one of those football greats of all time, and his brilliance is unstoppable. He keeps surprising his fans with his breathtaking skills. Every second passes by this year makes him a living god. Lionel Messi finally tasted World Cup glory at the FIFA World Cup 2022 for the first time in his career. With 129 goals in the UEFA Champions League history, Lionel Messi sits second in the Champions League's all-time goalscoring charts. Messi's brilliant career after a victorious World Cup has seen him set and break records on the way to earning countless awards and honours. As we approach the end of an illustrious career, fans and analysts are excited at what lies ahead for Messi as each chapter adds more fuel to this legendary icon's story in football. But even Lionel Messi is not free from controversies. In this blog, we bring you the top 4 Lionel Messi controversies.

Top 4 Lionel Messi Controversies

1. Lionel Messi's shocking Argentina national football team retirement - 2016

It was in June 2016 when Lionel Messi first announced his international retirement at the age of 29, following Argentina's defeat on penalties to Chile in the Copa America 2016 final. The Argentina national football team captain missed his penalty in the shootout at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. He was so distraught that he decided to leave the national team. However, only two months later, Lionel Messi reversed his decision and decided to come back to play for Argentina again, emphasizing that his love for the national team was too strong. Talking about Lionel Messi stats, the greatest of all time currently shares the podium with Cristiano Ronaldo and Ali Dae regarding international goals. 

The Argentinian forward has played 180 matches and scored over 106 goals for his country and is their all-time top goal scorer. The only blemish on his international career was the lack of trophies he had won for his country. But Argentina's fortunes turned around in 2021 when Messi led La Albiceleste to clinch the Copa America title, followed by a triumph in the Finalissima Trophy in 2022. In the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, Messi finally laid his hands on the coveted World Cup trophy, completing his remarkable collection of titles. He scored six goals for Albiceleste and won the Golden Ball award as Argentina beat France on penalties in the final to make Argentina the best football team in the world. When it comes to Messi football club, he has graced three high-profile clubs: Spain's FC Barcelona, France's Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) and USA's Inter Miami.

2. Tax Evasion charges against Lionel Messi - 2017

According to the court's statement, the Barcelona star was requested to pay €252,000 ($288,000, £223,000), which equates to €400 for each day of the sentence. Messi and his father Jorge were convicted of defrauding Spain of €4.1m between 2007 and 2009. His father's 15-month sentence was commuted to a €180,000 fine. The pair had been found guilty of using tax havens in Belize and Uruguay to conceal earnings from image rights. As well as receiving suspended jail terms, the Argentina international was fined about €2m, and his father was fined €1.5m. They made a voluntary €5m "corrective payment," equivalent to the alleged unpaid tax plus interest, in August 2013. Messi's appeal against the sentence was rejected by the Supreme Court of Spain last month. However, his father's jail time was reduced because he had paid some of the taxes.

3. Lionel Messi stirs controversy by appearing as the face of Saudi luxury brand - 2024

The Argentina national football team captain Lionel Messi caused controversy by becoming the face of Saudi luxury brand Sayyar, prompting fan backlash against Saudi Arabian investment in the sport. The partnership between Messi and Saudi Arabia has been criticized for allegedly overlooking human rights abuses in the country. Messi is accused of not addressing issues such as discrimination against women and Shiites, executions, torture of prisoners, and restrictions on freedom of speech, as reported by human rights groups.

According to his agreement, Messi is reportedly prohibited from making statements that would depict Saudi Arabia negatively. Lionel Messi vs Cristiano Ronaldo has been the biggest clash among football fans since the "Diego Maradona vs Pele" debate. Messi has been serving as Saudi Arabia's tourism ambassador since 2022, an opportunity that soccer rival Cristiano Ronaldo declined. Although Saudi Arabia sought to recruit him to play for a Saudi team, like Ronaldo's current position with Al-Nasser, Messi chose to join Inter Miami after departing Paris Saint-Germain last year.

4. Lionel Messi booed by fans after controversial Hong Kong friendly absence

Lionel Messi emphasized that an injury prevented him from playing for Inter Miami in a high-profile friendly match in Hong Kong. He was booed for remaining on the bench. The FIFA World Cup winner from Argentina stated that he "wanted to participate" despite facing criticism from the government of China's special administrative region for not participating in the match. Talking about the Football news, supporters who had each paid over £100 for a ticket were heard chanting for a refund. At the same time, the franchise's co-owner, former England captain David Beckham, was also jeered when he made a speech at the exhibition game. The Hong Kong government requested an explanation from Tatler Asia organizers. The culture minister admitted attempting to pressure Miami into fielding Messi.