Atletico Madrid defender Filipe Luis insists Lionel Messi is the best footballer in the world, despite his omission from the shortlist for the Best FIFA Men s Player award.
Despite inspiring Barcelona to a domestic double of LaLiga and the Copa del Rey in 2017-18, Messi was overlooked for the final three-man list in favour of Cristiano Ronaldo, Luka Modric and Mohamed Salah.
Antoine Griezmann claimed it was bizarre a FIFA award will not recognise any of France s World Cup-winning stars, but his Atletico team-mate thinks it is ignoring Messi that ruins the credibility of the prize.
The award is for the best player in the world. For me, today, it s Messi. Just like in previous years, he told Globoesporte.
When he s not there, it loses credibility. It doesn t matter who wins the World Cup or the Champions League. He s the best.
45 Lionel Messi finished the 2017-18 campaign as the top scoring player in the Top 5 European Leagues (all competitions); netting one more than both Mohamed Salah and Cristiano Ronaldo. Sensations.
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe)
Filipe Luis was tipped to join Paris Saint-Germain during the transfer window, only for the move to fall through.
The Brazil international has now criticised Atletico for painting him as the villain of a transfer wrangle, insisting he was happy to accept their decision not to sell him.
The opportunity to go to PSG came up and I mentioned it to Atletico. I asked them to let me go, in the same way they did with Gabi [who joined Al Sadd], he explained.
The club understood it wasn t the same situation, despite the similarities with the remaining time on our contracts.
They said I insisted, but it s a lie. I have a history with Atletico and that makes me sad, because they tried to worsen my image at the club.
