Messi? Brazilian players should take inspiration and example from him, the president of Brazil is clear. Did he take a dig at Neymar?

Lionel Messi won his eighth Ballon d’Or on Monday night and there were many different reactions to see. Some were positive, others rather the opposite. Brazilian President Lula, for example, spoke highly of the Argentine star.

The Inter Miami star, Barcelona legend and former PSG French footballer has had a great start this week. Lionel Messi received the eighth most prestigious individual award of his career in Paris on Monday evening.

He already has eight Ballon d’Ors, giving him more of these awards himself than any country has. He has thus surpassed several milestones and records. However, the best footballer in history may have had mixed reactions to winning the award.

For example, German icon Lotthar Matthäus, who called the Ballon d’Or a farce, to which, of course, Messi’s national teammate Ángel Di María responded by defending his compatriot.

Cristiano Ronaldo’s reaction was also widely discussed. The fact that Messi won is simply not to everyone’s liking, and the Portuguese took to social media to retweet one of the critical comments and add a comment to it.

However, the Argentine idol received congratulations from his biggest rivals Kylian Mbappé and Erling Haaland. Unexpectedly, a positive reaction also came from Brazil, specifically from the head of state.

Messi should be an inspiration, says Brazil’s president

Brazil is one of the most football-loving nations on the planet, but it has been languishing in recent years. Although it produces excellent footballers, for some reason this is not only reflected in the national team, but also in (not) winning individual prizes.

Yet in recent years much was expected from Neymar, for example, and now he is starting to rely mainly on Vinicius Junior. And it is from the Brazilian stars that Lula, the Brazilian president, expects to take his cue from the Argentine star.

“Messi should serve as an example to Brazilian footballers. The 36-year-old, a world champion, has the Ballon d’Or. Messi must be an inspiration for the children. Anyone who wants to win the Ballon d’Or must commit, sacrifice, be professional. It doesn’t go together with parties or nights out,” Lula expressed on Twitter.

The last sentence in particular struck many fans, not just Brazilian ones, as a dig at Neymar, one of Brazil’s biggest stars, who, according to the tabloids, has paid the price for his lifestyle.

Source: Twitter, Lula