How Mikel Obi accused Messi of 'stealing' the Golden Ball award

How Mikel Obi accused Messi of 'stealing' the Golden Ball award

Hassan Abdulsalam 20:48 - 13.08.2024

Messi was the top scorer at the 2005 FIFA U-20 World Cup with six goals.

Former Super Eagles captain John Obi Mikel has playfully accused Lionel Messi of "stealing" the Golden Ball award from him at the 2005 FIFA U-20 World Cup.

The two football icons faced off in the final of the FIFA U-20 tournament, with Argentina defeating Nigeria with a 2-1 scoreline.

The 2005 FIFA U-20 World Cup took place in the Netherlands from 10 June to 2 July 2005, with Lionel Messi's six goals sufficient to see him named the top scorer at the tournament.

However, Nigeria's Mikel was awarded the Silver Ball for his impressive performance in the competition.

Mikel and Messi

In a recent episode of the Nigerian midfielder's podcast tagged "The Obi One Podcast," Mikel recounted his conversation with Messi after the tournament.

"When we lost against Argentina in the U-20 World Cup, Messi won the Golden Ball and I won the Silver Ball," Mikel said.

"At the end of the coronation, I told him, 'You stole the Golden Ball from me. I deserved it, I was better than you."

He added that Messi, responded with a smile, saying, "I have nothing to do with the matter, the Committee is the one who chooses."

The two footballers would then go on to have such highly successful careers in the round leather game; Mikel won many laurels with FC Barcelona while Mikel also had a trophy-ladden spell with Chelsea.

Tags: