What Mikel told Lionel Messi after winning the FIFA U-20 World 2005 Golden Ball.

What Mikel told Lionel Messi after winning the FIFA U-20 World 2005 Golden Ball.

🇦🇷 Lionel Messi — Golden Ball 🥇
🇳🇬 Obi Mikel — Silver Ball 🥈
🇳🇬 Taye Taiwo — Bronze Ball 🥉
🇦🇷 Lionel Messi — Golden Boot 🏅

🗣️ John Obi Mikel: “When we lost to Argentina in the Under-20 World Cup, Messi won the Golden Ball, and I won the Silver Ball. At the end of the ceremony, I said to him, ‘You stole the Golden Ball from me. I deserved it; I was better than you.’ Messi smiled and said to me, ‘I have nothing to do with it. The committee is the one that chooses.’

We left, and I found him again near the locker room. He said to me, ‘Take the Golden Ball and give me the Silver Ball if you want.’ I replied, ‘I can’t, you deserve it. I was just angry, thank you.’

We met again at the 2018 World Cup. He said to me, ‘Hello, Golden Boy. I still have the picture we took together at the ceremony.’ I smiled and said to him, ‘During that time and even now, you convinced me that you really deserved it. You’re the best in the world, Leo”