Messi played a crucial role in leading the Inter Miami team to victory in the 2023 Leagues Cup final, earning them their first-ever trophy since establishment. The win also marked Messi’s 44th career title, further cementing his status as the world’s top soccer star. However, it was Messi’s admirable sportsmanship that stole the spotlight during the match. As he awaited the presentation of the gold cup, Messi selflessly removed the captain’s armband from the Miami captain’s arm and approached Yedlin, displaying both his masculinity and compassion.
During a recent match, Lionel Messi showed an act of kindness towards American defender DeAndre Yedlin by giving him the captain’s armband despite Yedlin’s protests. Yedlin, who is a 30-year-old right-back and was appointed as the captain for Miami in February 2022, had to step down from his position when Messi joined the team in July 2023. However, during the award ceremony after the match, Messi called Yedlin to join him in lifting the championship trophy together with their teammates. The whole team celebrated their first victory in Inter Miami history by dancing and carrying Messi up in the air, showing their love and respect for the football superstar.
The trophy was presented and both strikers approached to receive it. This moment was captured by international media and it highlights Messi’s noble personality. Despite being a famous superstar, he values his teammates’ feelings and doesn’t seek to hog the limelight. Instead, he shares his aura with others, making the team stronger and more united. Fans hail Messi’s act of giving up the captain’s armband as that of a “righteous gentleman,” which is not an easy feat to achieve. Unlike Messi, Ronaldo’s past actions were worse. Although he also gave up the captaincy to Bruno Alves in the Portuguese team, it was with the ulterior motive of “circumventing the law” in the FIFA Ballon d’Or election.
Messi was highly regarded by his teammates for his admirable personality and they grew fonder of him with each passing day.
In the context of giving up the captain’s armband, Messi outperformed CR7 by scoring more points. According to FIFA rules, only national team captains are eligible to vote for the Ballon d’Or, and they cannot vote for themselves. As a result, Ronaldo missed out on the opportunity to put his name on the ballot because he was captain at the time. However, midfielder Bruno Alves voted as Portugal captain subsequently. Although Ronaldo stated that he was injured at the time and had to let Bruno Alves become the captain, many people did not believe him and speculated that he had planned everything to secure a vote for himself.
Interestingly, Messi and CR7 received contrasting reactions from different people despite their similar actions. While football talent is undoubtedly critical, having an excellent personality that teammates, professionals, and football fans admire and respect is equally valuable.
