The world football governing body, FIFA, has come under criticism from sections of the Argentine media over its decision not to award Lionel Messi the Golden Ball at the just-concluded FIFA World Cup. Messi's bid to win a second World Cup title ended in heartbreak as Argentina suffered a 1-0 defeat to Spain in Sunday's final.
Argentina struggled throughout the match, failing to register a shot on target in regular time. Their task became even more difficult after Enzo Fernández was sent off late in the game. Reduced to 10 men, Lionel Scaloni's side looked set to force a penalty shootout before Ferran Torres struck the decisive goal in extra time to hand Spain their second World Cup title.
At the post-match awards ceremony, Spain also dominated the individual honours, with Rodri receiving the Golden Ball as the tournament's best player, while Pau Cubarsí and Unai Simón also picked up awards.
The decision to name Rodri as the tournament's standout performer has sparked backlash in Argentina, with TyC Sports journalist Antonio Serpa describing FIFA's choice as "almost an insult" to Messi.
Messi, who finished the tournament with eight goals and four assists, was named the second-best player. The 39-year-old's performance is widely expected to be his final appearance at the World Cup.
Speaking on TyC Sports, Serpa said FIFA had shown a "complete lack of sensitivity" by overlooking the Argentine captain.
"Giving the award to Rodri is almost an insult. It shows a complete lack of sensitivity," Serpa said.
He stressed that his criticism was not directed at the Spanish midfielder but at the decision itself.
"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."
Despite the criticism, FIFA's technical study group selected Rodri as the tournament's best player after Spain's title-winning campaign, while Messi's performances earned him the Silver Ball as the second-best player of the competition.
