Real Madrid legend Iker Casillas takes aim at Lionel Messi and ‘The Best’ award

Former Real Madrid goalkeeper Iker Casillas has this evening aimed a thinly-veiled jab at both FIFA, and Lionel Messi.

This comes after the latter lifted the latest individual accolade of his legendary career.

On Monday evening, Messi was unveiled as the winner of FIFA’s prestigious ‘The Best’ prize, afforded to world football’s standout performer over the course of the previous 12 months.

The Argentine pipped Manchester City frontman Erling Haaland to the award, after a voting tie between the pair was decided by way of 1st-place ballots from international captains across the globe.

One individual, however, evidently of the opinion that Messi was not deserving of the prize, comes in the form of the aforementioned Iker Casillas.

A long-time rival of the diminutive attacker during their respective stints in the colours of Real Madrid and Barcelona, shot-stopper Casillas took to social media a short time ago, to insinuate that Messi’s latest win compromised the integrity of ‘The Best’ ceremony.

In a post on his official X account, the Spaniard – who previously labelled Messi the greatest player of all-time – wrote:

“You create some nice prizes and you are taking them away by not doing things fairly. “The Smile” more like. Anyway, good night!”

Conor Laird | GSFN