Lionel Messi and Argentina continue to draw sharp criticism for what went down during their 2026 World Cup final match against Spain. One of the latest critics to chime in is Jeff Powell, who labeled the Albiceleste “brutes.”
Powell, a veteran columnist for the Daily Mail who has covered over 10 World Cups, penned a lengthy piece blasting the Argentine players’ performance against Spain. He called them the “ugliest losers in World Cup history” following a barrage of fouls and a viral post-match brawl.
Powell didn’t stop there. He added that Pele, who passed away in 2022, was at least spared from having to watch Argentina win another World Cup from beyond the grave. Even worse, Pele didn’t have to watch them drag the game to a penalty shootout after offering almost nothing on the field against a Spanish side led by Rodri, who ultimately took home the Golden Ball over Messi.
Powell regrets admiring Messi
Powell, who went so far as to call Messi an “imposter,” admitted he regrets previously naming Messi as one of his favorite players, chalking it up to human error. It is worth noting that another prominent English journalist, Piers Morgan, also ripped into Argentina’s Leandro Paredes after the loss to Spain.
Lionel Messi before the FIFA World Cup 2026 Quarter Final match (Getty Images)
One of the central points in Powell’s column, and his critique of Messi specifically, is his belief that Argentina’s No. 10 should have spoken up and apologized for his teammates’ behavior after the final whistle. That post-game brawl is now expected to draw FIFA sanctions.
Despite criticism, Powell keeps Messi in his All-Time XI
While Powell called the actions of Messi and his teammates disgraceful, he still includes Messi in his all-time XI, even if the admiration has faded. He places Messi in the midfield alongside Johan Cruyff, Alfredo Di Stefano, and Diego Maradona.
Image made based on Jeff Powell’s all-time XI posted on Daily Mail.
In addition to his all-time XI, Powell still considers Messi (who scored 8 goals in the 2026 World Cup but missed out on the Golden Boot) one of the top 10 players in soccer history, ranking him sixth, just behind Di Stefano and ahead of Ferenc Puskas.
| Rank | Player | Country |
| 1 | Pele | Brazil |
| 2 | Diego Maradona | Argentina |
| 3 | Garrincha | Brazil |
| 4 | Johan Cruyff | Netherlands |
| 5 | Alfredo Di Stefano | Spain |
| 6 | Lionel Messi | Argentina |
| 7 | Ferenc Puskas | Hungary |
| 8 | Cristiano Ronaldo | Portugal |
| 9 | John Charles | Wales |
| 10 | George Best | Northern Ireland |
Looking beyond Argentina, Powell warned that European and South American powers need to watch out for African nations like Cape Verde, arguing they are steadily closing in on a World Cup title. He noted that Caribbean teams are also making strides to push deeper into future tournaments.
