Former American defender Alexi Lalas has slammed the President of US, Joe Biden for awarding Lionel Messi the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Recall that the Inter Miami captain was among the 19 people who received the Medal of Freedom last Saturday from President Joe Biden.
The award, considered the highest U.S. civilian honor, was also presented to Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour, LGBT activist Tim Gill, among others.
However, Lalas has now criticized the decision on his podcast, “State of the Union.”
He branded it as “strange and ridiculous” because Messi only moved to the U.S. in July 2023, when he joined Inter Miami as a free agent after leaving Paris Saint-Germain.
“The fact that Messi received the Medal of Freedom is ridiculous,” Lalas said.
“He’s been here, what, a year and a half?”
He added, “It’s strange, but if you’re given that honor, you should respect it, and Messi was the only one who didn’t attend the event.”
Messi was not present at the event, as White House officials said the Argentine had a scheduling conflict.
The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner was instrumental in Inter Miami winning their first-ever trophy, the 2023 Leagues Cup, and setting a record for the most points in a season.
