Argentina and Inter Miami star Lionel Messi has made a habit of notching individual awards over the last two decades. However, he has recently finished second in a vote, organized by an Uruguayan newspaper, to decide the best South American player of 2025.
Lionel Messi Misses Out on First Rey De America Honor
According to World Soccer Talk, Uruguayan outlet El Pais awarded the Rey de America (King of America) honor to Uruguay and Flamengo star Giorgian de Arrascaeta on Dec. 31. While De Arrascaeta had 179 votes, Messi finished second with 39 votes (14.8%) to his name.
De Arrascaeta, 31, relished a successful season at Flamengo in 2025, winning the Brasileiro Serie A, Copa Libertadores, and four other trophies. He contributed 28 goals and 19 assists in 69 combined appearances across all competitions for Flamengo and Uruguay last year.
Messi, who has never been awarded the Rey de America accolade, also tasted success with his club in 2025. He helped Inter Miami lift their first-ever Major League Soccer (MLS) Cup last month and registered a joint 46 goals and 29 assists at club and country level in 2025.
Meanwhile, Racing Club attacker Adrian MartÃnez finished third with just 12 votes (5%).
Argentina Legend Backs Messi To Impress at 2026 FIFA World Cup
During a recent interview with FourFourTwo, Argentina and Inter Milan legend Javier Zanetti suggested that Messi will help La Albiceleste emerge as a 2026 FIFA World Cup favorite.
When asked if Messi is too old to perform at the world stage, Zanetti replied (via GOAL), “I don’t agree with that. Messi is fully capable of continuing as a leader. He is intelligent, knows better than anyone how to interpret what the team needs, and is surrounded by great players in the national team. I’m convinced that with him, Argentina will be a major contender again at the next World Cup.”
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Zanetti, who made 145 appearances for Argentina between 1994 and 2011, further claimed that the Inter Miami superstar could decide to play on beyond the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
“I don’t know if that can be seen in the short term, but I think the time has come for Messi to enjoy football. The most important thing now is that he enjoys what he does. The World Cup will surely be an important testing ground to see how he feels, and then he’ll decide, calmly, whether to continue,” Zanetti concluded.
Messi, who is currently 38, has contributed 115 goals and 64 assists in 196 matches for Argentina so far.
