English Columnist: Messi Will Be 'Forever Stained' After World Cup Final

English columnist Jeff Powell issued a scathing critique of Lionel Messi, asserting that the Argentine captain will be "forever stained" for leading his team in the 2026 World Cup final, which they lost 1-0 to Spain. Powell's commentary, published in the Daily Mail, targeted the attitude of the Argentine players during the match and in the post-game incidents, holding Messi responsible for not publicly condemning the behavior.

Powell titled his piece, "Messi will be forever stained as the leader of Argentina's brutes in the ugliest final in World Cup history." He argued that Argentina came close to a penalty shootout after "kicking more Spaniards than balls" and labeled the team as one of the most unpleasant losers in World Cup history. The columnist wrote that Messi "should have cried for the infamy of the team under his command," questioning why the forward lamented the title loss without addressing his teammates' conduct.

The journalist added that Messi offered "not a syllable of apology for the violence that ruined football's main spectacle" nor expressed regret for the brawl that erupted after the defeat to Spain. Powell's assessment also impacted his ranking of the greatest players of all time. He admitted to previously placing Messi third but decided to lower him to sixth, stating, "To think I was once seduced by his natural skills and elevated Messi to third place in my classification. We all make mistakes."

In his revised list, Powell ranked Pelé first, followed by Diego Maradona, Garrincha, Johan Cruyff, and Alfredo Di Stéfano. Messi appeared sixth, ahead of Ferenc Puskás, Cristiano Ronaldo, John Charles, and George Best. The Englishman also criticized Messi's performance in the final, suggesting he nearly removed him from his all-time best XI. According to Powell, Messi's only significant contribution against Spain was a cross-shot that went over the bar, and his performance in the semifinal against England was also limited. "He barely clung to a place in my all-time world best team," the columnist concluded.