According to the Daily Mail, Messi's popularity among the British public has plummeted due to his controversial behavior during the World Cup in Argentina.
A YouGov survey now shows that nearly half of respondents have a negative view of Messi.
This change stems from a series of controversial actions by Argentina in the tournament. Argentina ultimately lost 1-0 to Spain in the final, and also clashed with their opponents during the match. Enzo Fernandez was sent off in regular time, and Paredes was severely criticized after the game for striking Eric Garcia and Gave.
Messi has even been embroiled in such controversies. In the final, he attempted to have Marko Cucurella sent off because the latter briefly covered his mouth with his hand.
According to FIFA rules for this tournament, players who cover their mouths with their hands during confrontations may be sent off. Paraguay's Miguel Almiron and Ecuador's Piero Incapie have both been sent off for this reason. However, Cucurella's exchange did not appear to be provocative, as neither the referee nor VAR intervened.
Furthermore, many fans believe that Argentina received numerous favorable calls throughout the tournament, suggesting that the game was "manipulated" in their favor.
Argentine players' insistence in slogans and banners that the Falkland Islands belong to Argentina has not won them any favor with the English public.
All of these factors have negatively impacted Messi's popularity.
Before the World Cup began, 55% of people had a positive view of him, while only 9% had a negative view.
Currently, only 29% of people have a positive attitude towards him, while 44% express dislike.
This means that, according to a YouGov poll, Messi's net favorability rating among Britons has dropped from +46 to -15. Simply put, many people no longer like him.
His rating is even worse than his arch-rival Cristiano Ronaldo, whose net favorability rating is -2.
