Argentinian media have criticised FIFA over their 'almost insulting' decision not to give Lionel Messi the World Cup Golden Ball award. Messi's quest to win a second World Cup trophy fell agonisingly short with Argentina losing 1-0 to Spain in Sunday's final.
Argentina's performance in the final
Argentina were second best for the entirety of the match, failing to have a single shot on goal in normal time, but retreated even further following Enzo Fernandez's late red card. Lionel Scaloni's side were playing for penalties after going down to ten men but Ferran Torres scored an extra-time winner to give Spain their second World Cup trophy.
Spain clean up at medal ceremony
As well as winning their first World Cup since 2010, Spain cleaned up at the medal ceremony, with Rodri, Pau Cubarsi and Unai Simon all winning individual awards. Rodri was handed the Golden Ball award for the best player of the tournament after captaining Spain to World Cup glory.
But TyC Sports journalist Antonio Serpa believes FIFA showed a 'complete lack of sensitivity' by not giving the award to Messi. Messi was named the second-best player of the tournament after scoring eight goals and providing four assists in what will almost certainly be his last World Cup.
Serpa's criticism of FIFA
'Giving the award to Rodri is almost an insult, it shows a complete lack of sensitivity,' Serpa told Argentinian TV channel TyC Sports. 'Not because the Spaniard is a bad player, but simply because Lionel Messi was the heart and soul of Argentina and the World Cup. He graced the pitches with his brilliance and tears at 39, filling the nets with goals and the stadiums with fans of every nationality who came to see this phenomenon of all time in person.'
'If the criteria is to give awards to the winners, then Infantino and his team need to be told that football is won with goals, not passes. Rodri didn't just fail to score a goal in this World Cup: he made two billion passes and not a single one resulted in an assist.'
Mbappe's Golden Boot controversy
France superstar Kylian Mbappe was named the third-best player of the World Cup after winning the Golden Boot award with ten goals across the tournament. Two of Mbappe's goals came in France's third-place play-off defeat to England, a game which is seen as nothing more than a glorified friendly by many pundits and fans.
As a result Wayne Rooney and Alan Shearer both urged FIFA to reconsider their rules around the Golden Boot race at forthcoming World Cups. 'I was just looking at yesterday's game the way it was played like a testimonial,' Shearer told the BBC before the World Cup final. 'France are out and Mbappe has scored his two goals. France are out. Lionel Messi is playing in a World Cup final against a Spain team that have only conceded one goal and that is a lot more difficult.'
Rooney added: 'I just think France got knocked out of the tournament and had the third and fourth play-off game. Listen, I don't (think those goals should count). They do obviously but I think that's very unfair on Messi.'
Other individual awards
Rodri's teammates Cubarsi and Simon took home the FIFA Young Player and Golden Glove awards respectively after Spain's World Cup win. Legendary striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic was among those to heap praise on Messi after Argentina's run to the World Cup final.
'We have enjoyed him during this World Cup,' he said on FOX Sports. 'I know he's sad he didn't win the World Cup, but he had an amazing World Cup. He kept this team alive. He did some amazing stuff. He had moments where he was human. He had moments where he wasn't human.'
