Morgan Sparks Debate Over Messi’s Eighth Win as a Ronaldo Fan he Alleges Bias in Prestigious Award
Renowned TV personality Piers Morgan has stirred controversy by asserting that Lionel Messi’s eighth Ballon d’Or win is evidence that the prestigious award is “rigged.” Messi secured the coveted France Football prize on Monday evening, setting a new record with his eighth win. The victory was propelled by Messi’s pivotal role in Argentina’s World Cup triumph in Qatar, where he scored twice in a thrilling final against France.
Morgan, a staunch supporter of Messi’s long-time rival Cristiano Ronaldo, expressed his belief that the award should not have gone to Messi. Instead, Morgan argues that Erling Haaland, with his remarkable 52 goals in Manchester City’s historic treble, deserved the accolade for his outstanding performance.
Taking to social media platform X, Morgan wrote, “Messi preposterously winning the Ballon d’Or this year is yet more proof that the whole ‘Golden Ball’ system is rigged. He should have won 2 fewer, @Cristiano should have won 2 more, and Haaland should have won this year. End.”
Messi preposterously winning the Ballon d’Or this year is yet more proof that the whole ‘Golden Ball’ system is rigged. He should have won 2 fewer, @Cristiano should have won 2 more, and Haaland should have won this year. End.
— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) October 31, 2023
Ronaldo, currently playing for Al Nassr in Saudi Arabia, did not make the 30-player shortlist for the first time since 2003 and was not nominated for the Ballon d’Or. Morgan claims a Ronaldo fan has evidence of bias in the award and shared quotes from former FIFA and UEFA presidents, along with an image from a past ceremony where Ronaldo and Didier Drogba were allegedly mocked.
While Ronaldo has not directly addressed his omission and Messi’s win, he did respond to criticism from Tomas Roncero, who disputed Messi’s win. Ronaldo liked and commented on an Instagram post with four laughing emojis, where Roncero claimed Messi should only have five Ballon d’Ors.
In Ronaldo’s recent game for Al Nassr against Steven Gerrard’s Al Ettifaq, he faced Messi chants but responded when Sadio Mane scored the winning goal, adding another layer to the ongoing debate surrounding the Ballon d’Or.
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