Racist Chants: ‘Messi is Selfish, I Condemn Him’ – Carlton Cole

Former Chelsea and West Ham forward Carlton Cole has sharply criticized Lionel Messi, accusing the football star of selfishness following a recent controversy involving racist chants.

Cole’s comments come after Messi’s Argentina teammates, including Enzo Fernandez, were filmed singing racially charged chants targeting French players. The incident occurred after Argentina’s 1-0 Copa America victory over Colombia on July 14. Fernandez, who was streaming live on Instagram, was seen participating in the offensive celebration on the team bus. The chants, translated by talkSPORT, disparaged French players by highlighting their African heritage.

Despite Fernandez’s subsequent apology, Messi has not publicly addressed the situation. Cole, speaking on talkSPORT, expressed his disappointment with Messi’s silence: “Argentina have someone who is renowned as probably the best footballer to ever grace the game – Lionel Messi. We need to hear from him. He is the captain and the main figure in the team. His silence on this matter suggests he doesn’t care about the impact of these actions or how his black teammates might feel. This silence reflects selfishness, and I condemn Messi for it.”