Lionel Messi had won the Golden Ball at the 2014 World Cup and this was quite shocking to many people. Now, this also included former FIFA President Sepp Blatter who has now given out a very controversial statement about the same. Years later, Blatter admitted that he was not in agreement with the decision. During an interview with, he said, that the former FIFA President said that he was a bit surprised to see Lionel Messi emerging as the best player of the tournament. The Barcelona captain had netted four goals in the tournament and led the team to the finals of the 2014 FIFA World Cup. Lionel Messi Reacts After Barcelona Beat Osasuna 2-0 in La Liga 2020–21 (View Post).

In the finals of the tournament, Argentine took on Germany in Rio de Janeiro. It was Mario Goetze who scored a stunner after the added minutes of the match. He netted a goal at the 113th minute of the match and walked away with the finals of the tournament. Blatter said, "I think the decision was incorrect. I was surprised when I received the committee’s decision. They told me they had only looked at 10 of the players who took part in the final.”

He further went on to say that it was his earlier performances in the tournament that helped him win the gong. "If you compare the beginning of the tournament and why finally the Argentina team got into the final, they were decisive and I think that influenced the decision, " he said. Now, that was quite a controversial statement by the President. Do let us know you views about the same.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Mar 07, 2021 05:08 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).