“People say things to gain attention,” MLS Young Player of the Year Thiago Almada claims international teammate Lionel Messi DESERVED 8th Ballon d’Or

Thiago Almada is a World Cup winner alongside Lionel Messi.

“People say things to gain attention,” MLS Young Player of the Year Thiago Almada claims international teammate Lionel Messi DESERVED 8th Ballon d’Or

Lionel Messi and Thiago Almada (Via X/@AnkurMessi)

Lionel Messi was handed a record eighth Ballon d’Or trophy to his collection on October 30th. The footballing World was witness to another historic win as the Argentine beat former teammate Kylian Mbappe and Manchester City star Erling Haaland to the title. Following the ceremony, a large section of fans on social media called the award “rigged” and “undeserved“.

Several critics also said that the award should’ve gone to either Haaland or Mbappe. In spite of all the criticism, Lionel Messi was crowned winner, and that too, by a significant margin. The Argentine got 462 points, 105 more than runner-up Erling Haaland. The Argentine’s international teammate and MLS Young Player of the Season Thiago Almada came in support of the Argentine.

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Speaking with TyC Sports, Almada said:

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We all know that Leo deserved to win the Ballon d'Or .

Taking a dig at Messi’s critics, the youngster said: 

There will always be comments from people who want to appear on Television.

The 22-year-old was included in the 2022 World Cup squad and made a late appearance against Poland in the group stages.

Thiago Almada named MLS Young Player of the Year

World Cup winner Thiago Almada named Lionel Messi as the best player in the World. However, he made a name for himself as well after he was crowned the MLS Young Player of the Year for the previous season. The 22-year-old, who plays for Atlanta United as a midfielder was recognized for his sublime performances throughout the season.

Thiago Almada
Thiago Almada (Via X/@AlbicelesteTalk)

Moreover, he became the first Atlanta player to win the award in the current ‘branding’. His 2023 season in MLS involved a club record 19 assists and 11 goals. He also became the youngest player to hit double digits in the MLS, aged 22 years and 150 days when he did so. Several other records were also broken by the player in the 2023 season. He was also included in the MLS All-Star team.

Almada became the first Argentine to win the award and also became the only active player in the MLS to win the FIFA World Cup in its history. His 30 G/A was the second-highest in the league last season. After a spectacular season with Atlanta, Almada has been tipped with a move to top European clubs in the summer.

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