Messi Admits Targeting Lewandowski in World Cup Revenge
Lionel Messi has finally come clean about his deliberate targeting of Robert Lewandowski during the 2022 FIFA World Cup, revealing how personal feuds between football's elite play out on the world's biggest stage.
In a revealing ESPN interview from July, the Argentina captain admitted he specifically chose to embarrass the Polish striker through repeated dribbling during their group stage clash in Qatar. This wasn't just football, it was personal revenge.
"Was I deliberately dribbling because it was him? Yes," Messi confessed, pulling back the curtain on how football's superstars settle scores.
The Ballon d'Or Controversy That Started It All
The bad blood stems from the 2021 Ballon d'Or ceremony, where Messi claimed his seventh golden ball while Lewandowski was left frustrated once again. The Polish striker had been denied the 2020 award entirely due to COVID cancellations, despite a record-breaking season.
When Messi won in 2021, he offered what seemed like consoling words, suggesting Lewandowski deserved the 2020 award. But the Pole saw through the diplomatic gesture, dismissing Messi's comments as "empty words" in a later interview.
This public slight clearly stung the Argentine maestro, who admitted: "Lewandowski's statement in 2021 bothered me because when I won the Ballon d'Or, I said what I really felt. I ignored him during the game because it was him, and I was angry."
Revenge Served Cold in Qatar
When Argentina faced Poland in their crucial Group C encounter, Messi turned the football pitch into his personal vendetta arena. Despite not scoring or assisting, he made sure to repeatedly nutmeg and dribble past Lewandowski, sending a clear message.
Argentina won 2-0, and Messi's psychological warfare worked perfectly. The victory helped propel his team toward their eventual World Cup triumph, where he finally claimed the one trophy that had eluded him.
Lewandowski Attempts Damage Control
Recently, Lewandowski has tried to walk back his controversial comments, claiming they were misunderstood or taken out of context. Speaking to Polish outlet Rymanowski Live, he insisted he never meant to disrespect Messi.
"During the gala, with the emotion, I don't even remember exactly what I said," Lewandowski claimed, though his original comments were crystal clear at the time.
This backtracking comes too late. Messi had already extracted his revenge on football's biggest stage, proving that in the world of elite sport, every slight is remembered and every debt is eventually collected.
The incident reveals the intense psychological battles that rage beneath the surface of professional football, where personal grudges can fuel performances that captivate millions worldwide.