The debate over individual awards in a team game like football is unlikely to come to an end any time soon, but it's pretty clear that last night, Lionel Messi really didn't care about winning the Golden Ball.
Having made it to the World Cup final and produced a fantastic display on the night, Argentina will undoubtedly be feeling a little down today, as they were at the final whistle. One man who looked particularly sad was Lionel Messi, who did pick up an award on the night in the shape of the adidas Golden Ball for the best player of the tournament. He didn't look too bothered.
Having led his side to the final, this was scant consolation for the Argentine, as even Jose Maria Marin, who presented him with the trophy, was able to tell. You can clearly see him trying to offer a few words of consolation, and looking pretty concerned as he pats Messi on the back.
Messi said afterwards that he had wanted to win the World Cup for the people of Argentina, and told FIFA that "it means nothing to me now. Not the award, not anything else...it's really tough to lose like this".
Messi was also affected during the tournament by the death of a close friend and journalist Jorge "Topo" López, which may be another reason for him appearing so upset at the end of yesterday's final.
Via NewsTalk
