Messi has always been seen in a much better light than he should have because his main competition was Cristiano Ronaldo, who is an exceptionally hateable player. He's completely cultivated this brand image of a shy, meek autistic kid who was really really good at football and it's carried him throughout his career. It's worked especially well with the autistic non-football fans who determine the best ever on vibes.
But he isn't. This fucker was giving speeches in pro Catalonia rallies, this fucker has been captain of Argentina while they've been a bunch of hacking shitcunts, he tried to get a guy sent off for no reason, he didn't stop his teammates from brawling. The wholesome chungus persona is just a shield so he never has to be held accountable for anything because who could hate the Maradona regen that wasn't a domestic abusing coke fiend? Now his career is finally coming to an end he's absolutely showing just how 'calm' and 'innocent' he is when he doesn't get his way.
I'm not going to pretend he wasn't an incredible player and genuinely the best in the world for a good 6-7 years, but I'm not going to pretend that he's this innocent cherub who wasn't just an incredible player but a moral guardian for players to look up to.