Three or Four? UEFA answers on Lionel Messi’s Champions League titles, ignites huge controversy

UEFA's website called Messi a three-time winner, as he was not in the final squad in 2006

Three or Four? UEFA answers on Lionel Messi’s Champions League titles, ignites huge controversy

Credit: SportBible

The Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) has recently raised a storm. A Twitter user pointed out that Lionel Messi has only three Champions League titles to his name. Although common knowledge said that the Argentine had four titles: in 2006 2009, 2011, and 2015. The first one came against Arsenal, the proceeding two came against Manchester United, and the latest one was against Italian titan Juventus.

The 2006 final against Arsenal led to controversy. Football fans would remember it as a thrilling final, which was mired by a questionable decision by the referee to send off Arsenal goalkeeper Jens Lehmann. The referee, Terje Hauge, has also admitted that it was perhaps a hasty decision. Arsenal had taken the lead earlier though, through former Tottenham Hotspur man Sol Campbell, but Barcelona emerged victorious after goals from Samuel Eto’oand Juliano Belletti.

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However, UEFA has it on its website that Lionel Messi is the recipient of only three titles. Due to not being involved in the 2006 final, the official website states that “Messi has won the Champions League three times.”

This naturally caught the ire of his fans worldwide. Messi enjoys a cult-like following across the globe, and many see him as their inspiration. As such, they did not take kindly to the user. 

Many also pointed out that there were other players as well who were not included in the squad but were attributed as winners. Raphael Varane for Real Madrid’s La Decima, Gerard Pique for the 2008 UCL with Manchester United and Xavi Hernandez for Barcelona in the same year as Messi are some of these players. Many others also pulled out older tweets from UEFA, who themselves claimed that Messi was a “Four-time” Champions League winner. 

Related: WATCH: Inter Miami owner David Beckham welcomes Lionel Messi to MLS, calls him a ‘great person’

Messi and His Legacy In The UCL

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Credit: Eurosport

Messi came onto the European scene in the 2006 Champions League, and since then has left his impact on the competition. With his move to Inter Miami, perhaps we have seen the end of the Argentine in the competition. He is the second-highest goal scorer in the competition, finding the back of the net 129 times. He is second only to long-time rival Cristiano Ronaldo, who has 140 goals.

Messi was a long-haired, awkward teenager when he came onto the scene and took the football world by storm. He showed exceptional promise, and it foreshadowed the era to come. A few years down the line, he would go on to win it under the tutelage of Pep Guardiola, being the jewel of one of football’s greatest squads. Another title in 2016 followed, which included Messi linking up with Luis Suarez and Neymar Jr to form an attack that is widely regarded as one of football’s finest.

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