Lionel Messi responded to brutal "has no passion" jibe in best way possible
A lack of passion is not something that is branded around often in modern day football - especially at those who are amongst the best on the planet.
However, back in December 2020, former Benfica boss Jorge Jesus claimed that Lionel Messi has "no passion" in a scathing assessment of the seven-time Ballon d'Or winner. To make matters worse, Jesus also admitted that Messi's fiercest competitor, Cristiano Ronaldo, was more like Diego Maradona.
At that point, Messi was still at Barcelona and had lifted every major honour there was to win in the game - apart from the Copa America and World Cup with Argentina. They were the two that had alluded him, having previously won the Champions League and league titles on numerous occasions.
Speaking to ESPN in 2020, Jesus said: "In my opinion, Maradona was the greatest player in history, with Pele. Pele is still here, he is alive. Maradona was the greatest, not only for what he was as a genius and player, but for the way he showed. That made the difference to me.
"He was a world top, but he had a passion for the game, he was born to be a football player, he was born with everything. It is not a worked product, he was born that way. Love, all the feeling he had with the ball.
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"Nowadays, between the two best in the world, Ronaldo has a little bit of that, Messi has nothing. He has nothing... of passion. He is a great player."
Jesus later clarified: "Be careful not to misinterpret. As for Messi, we are talking about what life and feeling is about, having a passion for the game and football. I think Maradona was even prominent in this regard in relation to other."
Lionel Messi in action for Barcelona in 2020 (Getty Images)Fast forward two-and-a-half years and Messi now has the Copa America and the World Cup to his trophy cabinet, having most recently secured the latter in Qatar last December.
Something that was prevalent in both of those successes was in fact... passion. During Argentina's dramatic penalty shootout win over France in the World Cup final, Messi was one of the most enthusiastic players on the pitch and almost single-handedly carried his side over the line.
It could be seen on Messi's face how much it meant to him and the raw passion he displayed throughout the whole tournament, but especially in the final, was clear. The 36-year-old was determined to win the first World Cup of his career and he also knew how much it meant to the nation's supporters.
Lionel Messi celebrates at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar (Getty Images)Messi was one of the first to highlight the "passion" of the Argentina fans out in the Middle-East, and every single player, including the ex-Barcelona star, fed off that onto the pitch.
Speaking after their 2-1 last-16 win over Australia, Messi said: "These are amazing feelings. I'm really happy to share this beautiful moment, these happy moments with them all. The effort they are making to be here with us in every single match. I know how much they enjoy it back in Argentina.
"The whole of Argentina would like to be here, but it’s not possible. I think there’s this bond that we have, this union, which is something beautiful. It's unbelievable what they transmit, the passion, their energy, their joy and we’re very thankful. It’s unbelievable."
Messi was in impeccable form throughout the competition, netting seven times including a hat-trick in the final against France. But his individual form and scoring record would not have mattered to him if Argentina did not win the World Cup - eight years after losing in the final against Germany.
Lionel Messi with the World Cup trophy (Getty Images)During the trophy celebrations, Messi was spotted in tears and he could barely hold back his emotions as he guided Argentina to their first World Cup since 1986. And after their game against Panama in March, Messi delivered a spine-tingling speech which further illustrated his passion for the game and the country.
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There is no doubt has proven Jesus and the doubters wrong if they thought he had a lack of passion, considering what he has done in the past 12 months. Messi will go down as one of the greatest players of all-time and passion is something he has thrived off, especially while playing for his country.
As for his club career, Messi returned to Paris Saint-Germain following the World Cup and ended the season with the Ligue 1 side, scoring 21 times and providing 20 assists in 2022/23. But, after his expiration of his two-year contract, Messi decided to undergo a completely different adventure instead.
He chose to snub interest from Saudi Arabia to join MLS strugglers Inter Miami. Although Messi is yet to make his debut, his arrival has excited many fans out in the United States. Messi could make his Miami bow when they face Mexican team Cruz Azul on July 21.
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