I had a problem saying Messi should win it
En el vestuario más estrellado del fútbol europeo, una declaración pública sobre el Balón de Oro bastó para revelar las tensiones silenciosas que coexisten con la ambición colectiva. Mauricio Pochettino, entrenador del Paris Saint-Germain, respaldó abiertamente a Lionel Messi como merecedor del galardón individual más prestigioso del deporte, despertando las quejas bromistas —aunque cargadas de significado— de Neymar y Kylian Mbappé. El episodio, pequeño en apariencia, ilumina una verdad más profunda: construir un equipo de campeones exige gestionar no solo el talento, sino también el ego y el reconocimiento que cada uno cree merecer.
- Pochettino se metió en un terreno delicado al declarar públicamente que Messi merecía el Balón de Oro, ignorando que dos de sus otros delanteros también figuraban entre los nominados.
- Neymar y Mbappé no tardaron en reclamarle al técnico, con humor pero con una pregunta directa: ¿por qué no ellos?
- El entrenador reconoció la incomodidad creada, pero mantuvo su postura con convicción, argumentando que la Copa América con Argentina hacía de Messi el candidato más sólido.
- PSG tiene cuatro jugadores nominados al Balón de Oro —Messi, Mbappé, Neymar y Donnarumma—, lo que convierte la gestión del vestuario en un ejercicio constante de equilibrio entre ambición individual y cohesión colectiva.
- El intercambio, relatado con una sonrisa en rueda de prensa, sugiere que el equipo puede absorber estas fricciones sin que se conviertan en fracturas reales.
Mauricio Pochettino sabía que se había metido en un pequeño lío. El técnico del Paris Saint-Germain había declarado públicamente, en una entrevista con Cadena Cope, que Lionel Messi merecía el Balón de Oro sin discusión. "Aunque no entrenara a Messi, diría lo mismo", añadió, dejando claro que su respaldo no era favoritismo sino convicción genuina. El problema era que en ese mismo vestuario convivían Neymar y Kylian Mbappé, dos de los mejores delanteros del mundo, y ambos estaban nominados al mismo galardón.
Los dos astros no tardaron en hacérselo saber. Sin enfado, pero con la picardía propia de quienes entienden perfectamente la situación, le preguntaron al técnico por qué no ellos. Pochettino lo contó con una sonrisa en rueda de prensa: "Tuve un problema al decir que Messi debía ganarlo. Neymar y Mbappé me preguntaron por qué no ellos". Aun así, no se echó atrás: "Estaría bien que lo ganara cualquier jugador del PSG, pero Leo se lo merece".
El argumento de Pochettino tenía peso. Messi acababa de liderar a Argentina hacia su primera Copa América en veintiocho años, un título que había silenciado a sus críticos y coronado su trayectoria internacional. La narrativa era poderosa y el momento, inmejorable. Ese año, treinta jugadores optaban al Balón de Oro, entre ellos cuatro del PSG: Messi, Mbappé, Neymar y el portero Gianluigi Donnarumma.
Más allá de la anécdota, el episodio revelaba algo sobre la naturaleza de este equipo todavía en construcción. El PSG había reunido ese talento para conquistar la Champions League, y lograrlo exigía química y confianza. Que Pochettino reconociera la incomodidad generada, y que sus estrellas respondieran con humor en lugar de resentimiento, apuntaba a que la convivencia entre egos descomunales podía sostenerse. En un vestuario construido sobre la brillantez individual, mantener la armonía colectiva era, en sí mismo, todo un arte.
Mauricio Pochettino had created a small problem for himself, and he knew it. The Paris Saint-Germain manager had gone on record saying that Lionel Messi deserved the Ballon d'Or—a straightforward endorsement of his Argentine compatriot, who had just won the Copa América. But in a dressing room where three of the world's most accomplished forwards shared the same pitch, such declarations carry weight. Neymar and Kylian Mbappé noticed. They made their feelings known, though not with anger—with the kind of playful ribbing that happens when elite athletes understand the absurdity of the moment even as they feel the sting of it.
Pochettino recounted the exchange with a smile during a press conference, framing it as the lighthearted complaint it was. He had told reporters, in an interview with Cadena Cope, that the award should go to Messi without question. "And if I weren't coaching Messi, I'd still say Messi," he had added, making clear this wasn't favoritism born of proximity but genuine conviction. When his two other star forwards got wind of the comments, they asked him the obvious question: why not them? The manager's response was measured. He acknowledged the awkwardness—"I had a problem saying Messi should win it"—but stood by his assessment. "Neymar and Mbappé asked me why not them," he said, still smiling. "In any case, it would be fine if any PSG player won it. But Leo deserves it."
The Ballon d'Or, awarded annually by France Football magazine, represents the pinnacle of individual achievement in soccer. That year, thirty players had been nominated for the honor. Among them were four members of PSG's roster: Messi, Mbappé, Neymar, and goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma. For a club assembling one of the most star-laden attacking units in modern football, this was both a luxury and a complication. Each player carried legitimate credentials. Mbappé had been a revelation since his teenage years, a generational talent with blistering pace and clinical finishing. Neymar, despite injuries that had interrupted his trajectory, remained one of the sport's most creative and dangerous forwards. Donnarumma had just joined from AC Milan as one of Europe's most promising young goalkeepers.
Yet Messi's case was different in kind. He had just delivered Argentina their first major trophy in twenty-eight years, a Copa América victory that had vindicated his entire international career and silenced critics who had questioned whether he could succeed beyond Barcelona. The narrative was powerful, the timing perfect. Pochettino's public backing, even if it created this moment of comic tension, reflected what most observers already believed: Messi was the frontrunner.
What made the exchange notable was not the disagreement itself but the way it revealed the internal dynamics of a team still finding its footing. PSG had assembled these three attacking talents to win the Champions League, to finally break through in Europe's most prestigious competition. That required chemistry, trust, and the kind of ego management that only a skilled coach could provide. Pochettino's willingness to acknowledge the awkwardness—to admit he'd created friction, even if unintentionally—suggested he understood the delicate balance required. His teammates' playful pushback, in turn, showed they could absorb the sting without letting it fester. In a squad built on individual brilliance, maintaining collective harmony was its own kind of art.
Notable Quotes
The Ballon d'Or should be for Messi, without any doubt. And if I weren't coaching Messi, I'd still say Messi.— Mauricio Pochettino, PSG manager
Neymar and Mbappé asked me why not them. In any case, it would be fine if any PSG player won it. But Leo deserves it.— Mauricio Pochettino
The Hearth Conversation Another angle on the story
Why does a manager's public opinion about an individual award matter so much in a team setting?
Because it signals hierarchy. When Pochettino said Messi deserved it, he wasn't just making a prediction—he was making a statement about value. In a dressing room with three world-class forwards competing for the same space, that lands differently.
But he said it would be fine if any PSG player won. Doesn't that soften it?
It does, and that's why Neymar and Mbappé could laugh about it. But the softening came after the damage was done. The first statement was the one that stuck.
Do you think Messi's Copa América win made this inevitable?
Almost certainly. Messi had just ended a narrative that had haunted him for decades. That's not just a good season—that's redemption. Hard to argue against that, even if you're Mbappé.
How does a coach navigate this kind of moment?
Pochettino did it by being honest about the problem he'd created, then standing by his assessment anyway. He didn't pretend it didn't happen or try to reframe it. He acknowledged the tension and moved forward.
What does this tell us about the PSG project?
That they're still learning to be a team. Three alpha personalities, three legitimate claims to greatness, one ball. The fact that they could joke about it suggests they're managing it. But it's fragile.