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FIFA issues statement on corruption claims after Lionel Messi wins FIFA Best Award

Archie Blade
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FIFA issues statement on corruption claims after Lionel Messi wins FIFA Best Award

FIFA issues statement on corruption claims after Lionel Messi wins FIFA Best Award. The statement comes on the heels of allegations of the awards being rigged.

Lionel Messi’s summer of controversies doesn’t look to slow down anytime soon. He had a forgettable individual showing with the national team in the Copa America.

Also read: Lionel Messi Best FIFA player award tainted with claims of corruption

He was then involved in a myriad of rows at the tournament; one of which involved the Argentine wrongly being awarded a red card and eventually accusing CONMEBOL of corruption.

Messi is now in the eye of another storm. Except this time, he has been accused to be the benefactor of deceit by a governing football body.

After Nicaragua captain Juan Barrera came forward and claimed that he did not vote for Lionel Messi in the FIFA Best Awards, fans began doubting the authenticity of the awards. Barrera is shown to have voted for Lionel Messi in the FIFA forum. However, he says he didn’t vote at all.

In an interview with La Prensa, he further says that last year he received an email with instructions on how to cast his vote. This time around though, he received nothing.

FIFA issues statement on corruption claims after Lionel Messi wins FIFA Best Award

The world governing body has decided to respond to the foul play allegations through a statement to ESPN.

“We have checked the voting documents submitted by the Nicaraguan FA and all documents are signed and confirmed with the official stamp of the Nicaraguan FA.”

“Having compared with the vote sheets submitted by the federation and the ones we have published on FIFA.com, we confirm that we have the right votes signed by the player. We are asking the Nicaraguan Football Federations to inquire on this matter.”

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About the author

Archie Blade

Archie Blade

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Archie is a WWE and UFC Editor/Author at the SportsRush. Like most combat sports enthusiasts, his passion for watching people fight began with WWE when he witnessed a young Brock Lesnar massacre Hulk Hogan back in 2002. This very passion soon branched out to boxing and mixed martial arts. Over the years he fell in love with the theatrics that preceded the bell and the poetic carnage that followed after. Each bruise a story to tell, each wound a song of struggle, his greatest desire is to be there to witness it all. His favorite wrestler is Shawn Michaels and he believes that GSP is the greatest to ever step foot inside the octagon. Apart from wrestling, he is also fond of poetry and music.

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