Statistics can be misleading at times. Under pressure, Lionel Messi’s masterclass helped Argentina win the most prestigious trophy a soccer player can, lifting the World Cup. But some of his rival fans still trolled the player for including a few penalties in his goals. The scrutinizing netizens address him as Pessi, a troll name thrown at the Argentine. Although the star does not give heed to such banters, he can now silence haters without uttering a single word.

Even rival Cristiano Ronaldo has been through it. But the best players in the world have the ammunition to counter such claims without paying much attention by performing at the right moment.

Lionel Messi shuts away social media haters!

Few social media haters repeatedly use the word Pessi to express their displeasure with the star continuously. Argentina was heavily determined last year to provide its legend, Lionel Messi, with a World Cup before he announced his retirement. Hence, the team counted on their best player to deliver by giving him the team’s penalties. However, Messi has finished the year with 28 goals and silenced the trolls by not attempting even a single penalty.

The player is a reputed dribbler and is known to provide some mind-boggling goals without a direct shot from the spot. Messi’s penalty issue always arises from comparisons to rival Cristiano Ronaldo. The Al Nassr star, known for his confident penalties, has scored 11 penalties out of 46 goals.

But this season, Messi was frequently sidelined for Argentina and Inter Miami due to a recurring scar tissue injury. Notably, the Argentinian scored most of his year’s goals with Inter Miami in the Leagues Cup and a few with Paris Saint-Germain before arriving. The Argentina captain, however, scored five free kicks this year, equaling David Beckham’s feat. The Ballon d’Or holder is now 6th on the list of the highest free-kick scorers of all time.

READ MORE – “It’s Not a Goodbye But..” – Lionel Scaloni Hints at Leaving Argentina After Handing Brazil 1st Loss at Home in WCQs

Messi is turning disappointments into victories

The World Cup Golden Boot winner silenced his critics by turning most tides against him. Initially criticized for missing a crucial penalty in the Copa America final against Chile in 2016, people claim the word Pessi was used after this incident.

WATCH THIS STORY- Soccer Stars Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo Makes a Huge Assist for Esports Space

They turned the same torment into jubilation when the Argentina icon scored the penalty in the 2022 World Cup final shoot-out. They also criticized the player for not having an international trophy until 2021. This time, Messi stood up to win a triplet of international titles. The player culminated with the Copa America 2021, the 2022 Finalissima, and the World Cup.