Strange, Ridiculous – Ex-American Defender Blasts Decision to Give Messi Presidential Medal of Freedom

Former American defender criticizes the U.S. government’s decision to award Lionel Messi the Presidential Medal of Freedom, calling it “strange” and “ridiculous.”

Alexi Lalas, a former American defender, has expressed criticism regarding Lionel Messi receiving the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Last Saturday, President Joe Biden awarded the Medal of Freedom to 19 individuals, including the captain of Inter Miami.

The award, regarded as the highest civilian honor in the U.S., was also given to Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour and LGBT activist Tim Gill, among others.

Nonetheless, Lalas has expressed criticism of the decision on his podcast, “State of the Union.”

He labeled it as “strange and ridiculous,” noting that Messi had only moved to the U.S. in July 2023, joining Inter Miami as a free agent after departing from Paris Saint-Germain.

Lalas stated, “It’s absurd that Messi was awarded the Medal of Freedom.”

“He has been here for about a year and a half, right?”

He remarked, “It’s unusual, but if you’re given such an honor, you should respect it. Messi was the only one who didn’t attend the event.”

Messi did not attend the event because White House officials stated that he had a scheduling conflict.

The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner played a crucial role in Inter Miami’s victory of their inaugural trophy, the 2023 Leagues Cup, and was key in achieving a record-setting number of points for the season.