‘They gave the World Cup to Messi’: Ex-France star claims FIFA ‘robbed’ France, calling into question Argentina’s 2022 win legitimacy

In December 2022, Lionel Messi and Argentina ended their nation’s 36-year wait for a FIFA World Cup, lifting the trophy after a breathtaking final against France. The clash, widely regarded as one of the greatest in soccer history, saw Kylian Mbappe score a hat-trick, while Messi struck twice, leading to an intense penalty shootout victory for Argentina.

However, not everyone believes the outcome was entirely fair. A former French international, who played a crucial role for his country in past tournaments, has now made a shocking claim, suggesting that La Albiceleste’s victory was preordained by FIFA. According to him, the 2022 World Cup was “given to Messi”, and even some French fans were rooting for him to lift the trophy.

The Manchester United star Patrice Evra’s controversial remarks have added fuel to an ongoing debate over whether FIFA’s decisions influenced the final result. While Argentina’s dramatic penalty shootout win was celebrated worldwide, the Frenchman sees it differently.

“Okay, we haven’t won (a major tournament) since 2018, but we all know that in 2022, they gave the World Cup to Messi. It was all already written. Even the French wanted Messi to win it,” he said in an interview with RMC Sport.

This claim suggests that Lionel Scaloni’s players were destined to win, regardless of what unfolded on the pitch. He even pointed to early decisions in the final, such as the first-half penalty awarded to Argentina, as key moments that contributed to their success. “The penalty at the start… Personally, I congratulate Deschamps’s successor,” he added, implying that the match was tilted in favor of Messi’s team from the beginning.

Defending Didier Deschamps and France’s legacy

Beyond his criticism of the 2022 World Cup final, the ex-France international also defended Didier Deschamps, who has led the nation to multiple major tournament finals. For him, Deschamps should already have two World Cup titles, and the 2022 edition was unfairly taken away from Les Bleus.

He further questioned why French fans seem to be dissatisfied despite their team consistently reaching the final stages of every major tournament. “Are we not spoiled kids? Can people not stand being in the semi-final or final of every tournament? Do you prefer us to win or to play beautiful football?” he asked.

Was the 2022 World Cup really ‘rigged’ for Messi?

The ex-France international’s bold accusation is bound to spark debates among soccer fans, analysts, and historians. While Messi’s heroics in Qatar cemented his legacy, questions over FIFA’s influence on the tournament have been raised before. Some believe that the 37-year-old’s status as one of the greatest players made his triumph a dream scenario for FIFA and global audiences.

That said, many argue that Argentina’s victory was fully deserved. Lionel Scaloni’s team displayed resilience throughout the tournament, overcoming setbacks, including an opening defeat to Saudi Arabia, before beating elite teams like the Netherlands, Croatia, and France.