Lionel Messi was called a fraud by Canadian broadcaster Sid Seixeiro in 2018. He claimed that the Argentine is nothing without top players around him, and his achievements with the national team prove it.

Messi was criticized for not doing anything for the Argentina national team (Photo: GiveMeSport).

Speaking to Sportsnet, Sid claimed that Messi has a “fraud factor” that many people do not want to accept. He claimed that the Argentine captain can do everything for Barcelona but is nothing when playing for the national team.

He told The Sun: “This is the cheating element of Messi that no one wants to talk about, and I say cheating. He won everything there is to win at Barcelona. This is how you know what Messi is like. When they won the best things at Barcelona, ​​it was Messi, it was Xavi, Iniesta, David Villa. It was a strong team.”

“But since 2008, Xavi, Iniesta and David Villa, all the Spanish boys from Barca, have won tournaments.”

“Euro 2008, World Cup 2010, Euro 2012. Messi, as soon as he steps on the pitch without that core, is just average. And you saw that in the Copa America; in the World Cup, he’s now gone 675 minutes in a row without scoring a goal in the biggest football festival on the planet.”

“Because Xavi is not there, Iniesta is not there, David Villa is not there. And the best players I have ever seen in my life, can play with anyone,” he added.

Argentina were eliminated by Croatia at the 2018 World Cup and Sid made the above comment. He was furious with the Argentine player, claiming that Portuguese star Cristiano Ronaldo could do that to anyone around him.

Finally, Messi has won all the titles in the Argentina national team shirt (Photo: Getty).

Sid Seixeiro changes tone on Lionel Messi after 2022 World Cup

Sid Seixeiro has heaped praise on Lionel Messi, after Argentina won the 2022 World Cup. He claimed that the Argentina captain is the greatest player of all time. The broadcaster posted on X: “Messi is the greatest player of all time. The debate is over.”

Lionel Messi won the Copa America in 2021 and went on to win the World Cup in 2022. He successfully defended the Copa America title in 2024, but was injured in the final.