Football fans have criticised Gary Lineker after Lionel Messi won at the FIFA Best awards on Monday night.
The Argentina international scooped the gong for best player, beating Erling Haaland despite the Manchester City star firing his side to treble glory last term.
With Messi's World Cup triumph in December 2022 not counting, some are baffled at the decision to give the 36-year-old the accolade.
After his win, Lineker took to X to say: "8 The Best awards. 8 Ballon d’Ors. 17 consecutive years in team of the year. Winner of everything.
8 The Best awards. 8 Ballon d’Ors. 17 consecutive years in team of the year. Winner of everything. What a truly remarkable career. 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 https://t.co/UcOqzIL5ag
— Gary Lineker (@GaryLineker) January 15, 2024
"What a truly remarkable career."
Yet fans have turned on the BBC pundit, insisting he's wrong and that Haaland was worthier of the award instead.
"100 per cent wasn't best player of 2023. Surely Gary you could just be honest and say it not deserved. PSG = below par & Miami = terrible. Won world cup (1 month) best player was @ErlingHaaland," said one user.
A second stated: "Obviously a legend of the game but not sure how he wins this for 2023 when the World Cup was in 2022 and he spent 2023 with the Inter Miami socceroos."
A third said: "An absolute farce Gary, and you know it."
A fourth weighed in by saying: "Haaland was robbed, it's obvious, the regulations said that the voting covered the period after the World Cup."
A fifth fan raged: "This is a disgrace to football and hard work. This award is not a career award, it is an award for players who performed exceptionally in 2023.
"How Messi is able to win this award is baffling, but it says one thing, all that matters is the World Cup."
A sixth stated: "How are you backing him receiving this award. I thought you knew about football."
And a seventh vented their fury by saying: "He literally did nothing in 2023 come on Gary you should know better, we get it he’s one of the Goat but broooooo."
While Haaland was deprived of The Best award, Manchester City still did extremely well at the London ceremony.
Pep Guardiola was named coach of the year - and swore on stage when asked about his best side of all time.
And John Stones, Kyle Walker, Ruben Dias, Bernardo Silva, Kevin De Bruyne and Haaland were all named in FIFA's World XI.
Meanwhile, Lineker has also caused controversy after retweeting a post calling for Israel to be banned from international football.
The BBC presenter insists it's a misunderstanding.
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Gary Lineker has caused controversy by praising Lionel Messi for awards win
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But Lineker has risked the wrath of BBC bosses, especially due to their impartiality rules.
And a senior news figure has told the i that Lineker's position at the Beeb is now at risk, especially with the European Championships due to take place in the summer.
They said: “This is a worse case than usual precisely because it’s in an area that Gary is covering.
“You cannot have a presenter paid for by all licence fee payers who regards the participation of one country as illegitimate as a personal view.”
Another BBC insider added: “Does he really not look more carefully before sharing inflammatory material?
Lionel Messi wasn't present at the FIFA Best awards ceremony in London
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"It’s typical Gary.
"He’s let everyone know where he stands on Israel, then by deleting it he can just carry on as before.
"When will the bosses bring this to an end?”
