FC Barcelona: UEFA strips a Champions League title from Leo Messi!

The debate around Lionel Messi’s European record continues to spark controversy. Officially, UEFA credits him with only three UEFA Champions League titles (2009, 2011, 2015), omitting the one FC Barcelona clinched in 2006.

Despite featuring during that European campaign, notably against Chelsea in the Round of 16, the Argentine is absent from the official winners’ list. The reason comes down to strict regulations.

According to UEFA’s criteria, a player must be included on the match sheet for the final to be officially recognized as a champion. Sidelined with a hamstring injury for the 2006 final against Arsenal, Messi was not named in the squad, which explains his omission from the official record.

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Mahdi Zakaria LAZRI |

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