Diehard fans do not mess around when it comes to the FIBA World Cup. They take this quadrennial spectacle extremely seriously, especially when global icon Lionel Messi is at the forefront. Skip Bayless never shies away from controversy, however. The former award-winning sportswriter and current podcaster riled up plenty of people on social media when he dropped some interesting takes during Tuesday’s Group J matchup between Argentina and Algeria.
Messi enchanted many en route to a history-making hat trick inside Kansas City Stadium, or as Chiefs fans know it, Arrowhead Stadium. Bayless extolled the all-time great, but he was not satisfied with mere plaudits. The former ESPN and FOX Sports personality made strong comparisons, starting with the 2026 NBA Finals MVP.
“Jalen Brunson has a little Messi in him,” Bayless posted on X. Most commenters ignored the word “little” and lambasted the 74-year-old Oklahoma native. It is quite possible that he was merely drawing parallels between their competitive spirit, big-match proficiency and situational awareness, which seems rather innocuous on the surface. If Bayless is equating their respective legacies like so many assume, then he is never going to be a friend to the football community.
The longtime pundit has issued plenty of incendiary proclamations before, but this Messi-Brunson post appears fairly tame in comparison. However, He went full instigator-mode at the end of Argentina’s 3-0 victory over Algeria.
“Tonight at Arrowhead, Messi was even bigger than Taylor Swift,” Skip Bayless remarked. The 14-time Grammy Award winner, who is engaged to Chiefs great Travis Kelce, garners endless attention during the NFL season. Bayless is obviously having a good time during the early stages of the 2026 World Cup.
And so is Lionel Messi. The 2022 champion and eight-time Ballon d’Or Award winner, who will turn 39 years old on June 24, was absolutely magnificent in KC. He made a controversial challenge that could have arguably drawn a red card, but the referee did not take action. Ultimately, Argentina fans will focus on the sublime showing rather than a negative moment that was not officially recognized.
They might then direct their attention to Bayless, who is bound to offer several more Messi takes before this massive competition concludes.
Diehard fans do not mess around when it comes to the FIBA World Cup. They take this quadrennial spectacle extremely seriously, especially when global icon Lionel Messi is at the forefront. Skip Bayless never shies away from controversy, however.