Leo Messi's silence
BarcelonaLeo Messi has become one of the main figures around which Barça's election campaign has revolved. Xavi Hernández's revelation that Mateu Alemany The following day, he confirmed that he had pitted the two presidential candidates vying for his favor against each other. Joan Laporta proposed erecting a statue in his honor, while Víctor Font suggested naming him honorary president, even suggesting he might return to play for Barcelona. Meanwhile, Messi remains silent. And he does so precisely when his image applauding Donald Trump has gone viral.
He wasn't the only one; his teammates and the Inter Miami coaching staff also applauded after the US president announced he would continue his attack on Iran. But he remains the global star, and if anyone could say otherwise, it was him. Five days after the bombing and killing of 160 girls at a school in Tehran, Messi was at the White House smiling and applauding Trump, and this has had no impact on the election campaign. It hasn't hurt his chances; it's barely been noted.
Inter Miami could have declined the invitation, just as the Seahawks recently did after winning the Super Bowl in the NFL, as did the Golden State Warriors, the Raptors, and the Lakers in the NBA, the hockey players who had just won gold at the Olympic Games, or the women's soccer team led by Megan Fox, but Messi didn't, and he was left looking foolish.
But he shouldn't worry, he's not alone; he's in very good company. There's, for example, Gianni Infantino, who even awarded Trump a peace prize that FIFA invented because the Nobel Prizes had ignored him, and Cristiano Ronaldo. Messi, who has always avoided taking a stance in the political arena—as if not speaking out weren't already taking a position—tarnished his image, and Trump got the photo he wanted to continue feeding his immense ego.
This Sunday, Barcelona members will elect their president, and I don't know to what extent Messi will influence the decision, but his silence shouldn't overshadow the applause he receives. The upcoming World Cup, to be held in the United States, should be an excellent indicator of how tolerant footballers are of those fortunate enough to be millionaires like Messi, able to arrive in the country with a masseur and in a private jet.