Real Madrid legend not happy with Messi claiming FIFA Best Award

The Real Madrid-Barcelona rivalry is strong on this one as former Madrid and Spain star, Ike Casillas calls out the FIFA Best Awards after former Barcelona man, Lionel Messi claimed the prize over Erling Haaland on Monday night.

The decision left the legendary goalie questioning the fairness of the prestigious accolade.

Despite facing stiff competition from Erling Haaland, who had a stellar performance between December 19, 2022, and August 20, 2023, Messi secured the victory by garnering more first-place nominations from national team captains.

The Argentine maestro and Haaland both received an equal number of votes, with 48 each.

Notably, Messi’s triumph didn’t escape criticism, especially from figures within the football community.

Thierry Henry, Messi’s former Barcelona teammate, accepted the award on Messi’s behalf and took the opportunity to deliver a thinly veiled dig at Tottenham Hotspur.

Casillas, expressing his discontent on the situation, took to the platform X (formerly known as Twitter) to voice his concerns.

He wrote, “You create some nice prizes and you are taking them away by not doing things fairly. ‘The Smile’ more like. Anyway, good night!”

FIFA responded to the criticism by releasing the complete list of votes, revealing that Messi had given his top spot to Haaland, who had achieved remarkable feats during the specified period.