Former Super Eagles midfielder, John Mikel Obi, has revealed that he accused Lionel Messi of “stealing” the Golden Ball from him after the FIFA U-20 World Cup in 2005.
Nigeria faced Argentina in the final of the competition hosted in the Netherlands.
Messi, who was 18 years at the time, stepped up to score twice from the penalty spot, as they won 2-1 to clinch the trophy.
Messi finished as top goalscorer with six goals and was awarded the Golden Ball, ahead of Mikel Obi who won the Silver Ball.
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Speaking recently on his Obi One Podcast, Mikel Obi: “When we lost against Argentina in the U-20 World Cup, Messi won the Golden Ball and I won the Silver Ball.
“At the end of the coronation, I told him, ‘You stole the Golden Ball from me. I deserved it, I was better than you’.
“Messi smiled and said to me, ‘I have nothing to do with the matter, the Committee is the one who chooses.’”
