Diego Lugano, a former Uruguayan international, claims FIFA aided Lionel Messi and Argentina in winning the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
Messi, 35, won the tournament’s Golden Ball after scoring seven goals and collecting three assists.
Meanwhile, Argentina was handed five penalties throughout the World Cup, four of which Messi converted.
Lugano, on the other hand, feels Argentina was aided by FIFA because to Messi’s worldwide fame.
“That they [FIFA] gave him [Messi] help is no doubt. Argentina had its merit but of the 5 penalties, 4 I think no one has any doubt that they were not,” Lugano told Futnbl por Carve TiaDiaria, Lugano.
“They were totally forced, that is the reality. But that’s to the credit of Messi, who moves a lot worldwide.”
He added, “You see [Mike] Tyson in the Messi shirt, you see Tiger Woods, you see Roger Federer. Do you think that FIFA does not see that and it does not work for them? The merit of Messi and later also the merit of Argentina, who knew how to take advantage of that.”