Argentinа wаs the superior teаm in the finаl аgаinst Frаnce but, due to how things went in the second hаlf of the regulаr time, it definitely cаn be sаid thаt they wouldn’t hаve become world chаmpions without а bit of luck.

If you are unfamiliar with the background of the red ribbon, Messi received it from the mother of journalist Rama Pantrotto at the 2018 World Cup. It was given to him following his penalty miss in the first game against Iceland.

Since that time, the ribbon has brought good fortune to Leo and the players who received it from the veteran forward.

Philippe Coutinho wore it in 2018 at Barcelona to snap his goal drought. Paulo Dybala scored his first goal for the national team the following year while wearing the ribbon around his wrist.

Eventually, the fortunate charm found its way back to the original owner and has since helped him become a world champion four years later.

‘ᴜɴʙᴇʟɪᴇᴠᴀʙʟᴇ’ – Messi ruled out from TOP 5 best playmakers in Europe

Quite sᴜʀᴘʀɪsɪɴɢ when Messi – who is famous for his high-class passes, is outside the top 5 best passers in Europe.

The World Cup victory in 2022 marked the beginning of Lionel Messi’s most prosperous stretch of his career. The Argentine superstar is also making standout performances while wearing a PSG jersey in Ligue 1.

Messi was been crowned the greatest player in history by FIFA. The 36-year-old superstar consistently ranks high in all personal categories, as seen by his selection as the best player in the world in 2022.

But despite being known for his “magic” left foot, Messi does not rank among the top five passers in Europe. Accordingly, Whoscored has listed Martin Odegaard, Toni Kroos, Joshua Kimmich, Luka Modric, Kevin De Bruyne, and other players on this list.

Based on the criteria of the crucial passes that led to the goal, the top 5 players are chosen (key-pass). Of course, Messi’s exclusion from this list due to his playing position in another position other than center midfield is reasonable.

It is important to note that the Argentine superstar was still among the top 3 passers in the world just last season. He consistently performs at the absolute top of this remarkable metric in every football game. However, during the current season, his long-range shots or dribbling are frequently remembered more by fans.

The center midfielders on the aforementioned list are all among the greatest in the world right now. They are now playing for the strongest clubs in the domestic league, despite their form’s ups and downs.

Messi’s season-long objectives this year include leading PSG to Ligue 1 and Champions League victories. The Paris team is struggling in its first matches following the 2022 World Cup without El Pulga. Messi’s homecoming is anticipated to be a potent spiritual “medicine,” nevertheless.

Limitations of the trio of Messi, Mbappe and Neymar made PSG drop the winning

After defeating PSG with his Reims colleagues in Ligue 1, captain Abdelhamid noted the shortcomings of the trio of Kylian Mbappe, Neymar, and Lionel Messi.

At the Parc des Princes, PSG welcomed Reims, a team ranked eleventh, and sent out a very good lineup with enough of a triumvirate of Lionel Messi, Neymar, and Kylian Mbappe to secure three points and solidly establish the top spot in Ligue 1.

Naturally, the home team was easily overpowered by the larger force and seized the lead in the 51st minute thanks to Neymar’s goal. Verratti’s dismissal from the field after being shown a red card eight minutes later marked the turning point.

In a short position, PSG, although still in control of the ball, had to fend off dangerous counter- ᴀᴛᴛᴀᴄᴋ s from Reims. And in the last minutes of injury time, the away team got an equalizer forcing PSG to divide the points at home.

After the match, apart from Neymar scoring the only goal for PSG and getting 8.2 points, his two partners both received low scores from Sofascore. 6.7 for Mbappe and 6.0 for Messi, respectively, the lowest on the field.

The statistics show the PSG’s impasse and inefficiency. However, looking at it from the perspective of the opposition, the Paris team’s point loss was due to more than just the MMN trio’s capacity for transformation.

As a result, Yunis Abdelhamid, the captain of Reims, highlighted the shortcomings of the PSG system’s three of Lionel Messi, Neymar, and Kylian Mbappe following the game. He believes that although none of the three are particularly strong defenders, they are all excellent with the ball up front.

“The three forwards Messi, Mbappé, and Neymar essentially made no effort to join in the collective defense, making it simple to send the ball near to the PSG defense.

We looked into that. We wanted to take advantage of it, so we did. We gave them several opportunities to achieve their aim as a result.”

Statistics show that in the match last night, Reims launched 17 shots towards Donnarumma’s goal, 5 more than PSG but they only held the ball 40%. That shows that what Abdelhamid said is completely valid.

In the past, the defensive laziness of the Messi – Mbappe – Neymar trio has also received many criticisms. The legend of the Lyon club and the whole Ligue 1, the former famous player Juninho is even concerned that if everyone plays and does not defend together, it will be difficult for PSG to compete for the C1 championship with big ᴍᴇɴ like Man City. , Real Madrid or Bayern Munich.