After helping Argentina win the World Cup, Lionel Messi has altered his behavior, according to former Paris Saint-Germain player Jerome Rothen.

When the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner led the Albiceleste to worldwide success in Qatar 2022, he finally held the one trophy he had always desired. Since then, he has won further trophies with PSG and Inter Miami, making him the all-time most decorated player.

But after winning the world championship, Messi has come under fire for allegedly losing his composure more frequently. According to reports, the 36-year-old uses his title as a club to smash opponents who dare to challenge him. After witnessing Messi collide with Brazilian forward Rodrygo in a recent 2026 World Cup qualifier, Rothen—who has long been critical of the South American icon—told RMC Sport, “When it comes to their [Argentina’s] behavior, they are the first to αttαck others.”

Let’s start with Leo Messi, the team’s best player. Having won the world title two years ago at PSG, he has enjoyed a good rest in advance of the World Cup. He had a reputation for being a lovely guy, but now that his true nature is out and he was exposed, that has changed. He’s so untouchable these days. The identical comment he made to Rodrygo, “Hey, I’m a world champion,” only comes out after he is hit. The group presents a positive image of Argentines. That’s how Argentine nationality is, and you feel better than other people because of that. They ought to be more refined.

Rothen further argues that, despite leading Manchester City to a historic Treble in 2022–23, Erling Haaland was pushed into second place and that Messi was not deserving of the Golden Ball, which he won at a glamorous Ballon d’Or ceremony in Paris. Rothen went on, “It’s disgusting! It is obviously shameful! I thought Haaland ought to have won. What qualities make us think that Messi is superior to the others between August 2022 and June 2023? He is essentially unranked according to no criteria. Even though he did win the World Cup, he trails Haaland in trophies. Of course, you can’t compare it solely to the World Cup because Haaland is Norwegian, but he won everything with Manchester City.