Filipe Luis says Lionel Messi was the best player in 2018 and deserved to win the Ballon d’Or.
Lionel Messi is arguably the best player to have ever embraced the game. The Argentine has won several individual and team accolades including five Ballon d’Or, La Liga, and the Champions League.
From being turned too small to shattering plenty of records and becoming the top scorer for Barcelona says how long the current Argentine has come. Despite outscoring and producing more assists every single player last year, he was fifth in the Ballon d’Or award.
Most assists in 2018:
2️⃣6️⃣ – Lionel Messi
2️⃣4️⃣ – Luis Suarez
2️⃣3️⃣ – Dimitri Payet
2️⃣3️⃣ – Memphis Depay
1️⃣9️⃣ – Eden Hazard
1️⃣8️⃣ – Neymar
1️⃣8️⃣ – Raheem Sterling
1️⃣8️⃣ – Antoine GriezmannUnselfish. pic.twitter.com/K0tgNtcdmD
— Goal (@goal) January 1, 2019
🇦🇷 Lionel Messi in 2018:
🏟 54 Games
⚽️ 51 Goals
🎯 26 Assists🏆 La Liga
🏆 Copa del Rey
🏆 Supercopa de Espana🏅 FIFPro Best XI
🏅 European Golden Shoe
🏅 La Liga Best Player😳 Scored 50+ goals in 8 out of last 9 years.
🤯 Still voted 5th in Ballon d’Or. pic.twitter.com/0PMUcVsy9Y
— SPORF (@Sporf) December 31, 2018
It was that kind of a strange decision which even surprised that Atletico Madrid full-back Filipe Luis who had his say on Lionel Messi. He says Barcelona’s Number 10 has been carrying his side for more than a decade and deserves respect for every bit of it.
The Brazilian said in an interview with Globoesporte “When I get on the pitch my mission is to not let the opponents do anything, be that Messi or any other player. But after so many years I see a guy who continues to reinvent himself – he’s played out wide and now he plays in the middle.
“Suddenly, I hear that he didn’t deserve to win the Ballon d’Or because he had a bad season in 2018? He won La Liga, he won the Copa del Rey, he was the top scorer in Europe and provided loads of assists.
“Whoever thinks Messi doesn’t deserve the Ballon d’Or isn’t seeing what I’m seeing. Either that or I don’t know anything about football. He’s the best player at Barcelona. He scores goals and when he doesn’t do that he provides assists or starts the plays that lead to goals – and he’s done that for the last 10 years.”
Filipe Luis who has been the La Liga rival by playing his trade with Atletico Madrid thinks that Messi should have been on top of the podium for his contributions towards Barcelona.
“My rivalry with him on the pitch is infinite, but off the pitch my admiration for him is also infinite. He’s Argentine and plays at a rival club, and I know I won’t win any admirers by speaking well of him. But I’m just being sincere.”
Luka Modric, for his ride with Real Madrid in the Champions League success and ending up as world cup runners up with Croatia, was guaranteed with the Ballon d’Or.
Following the winter break, it has not taken too long for the Argentine to keep chipping in goals every game. The forward has scored four goals in 4 games and has registered one assist as well.
