Former Premier League stars and soccer pundits Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher generated some buzz among the soccer fraternity. The duo was tasked with picking their combined eleven for the highly anticipated EA FC 24 Team of the Year 2023. The lineup, featuring the crème de la crème of soccer talents from the past year, brought forth moments of agreement and disagreement. Nonetheless, it was the front line that caused Gary Neville to object to Carragher’s selection. It sparked a debate that lingers on the selection of the legendary Lionel Messi.

Lionel Messi lit up the American soccer scene by painting Inter Miami with his artistry in 2023. But, when it comes to contention against the likes of top European talents, Gary Neville believes that he ‘can’t pick’ the Argentine star. Let’s uncover the pundits’ stance on the TOTY 2023.

Gary Neville’s bold protest on the Lionel Messi conundrum

As the TOTY lineup unfolded, Neville and Carragher aligned their choices for most positions until they reached the attacking line. While Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe secured their spots without a hitch, the third attacker became a focus of contention. Former Liverpool star Jamie Carragher opted for Inter Miami’s Lionel Messi, which surprisingly is a choice that didn’t sit well with Gary Neville. The former Manchester United icon centered his argument around Messi’s limited playing time in 2023.

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“So, the criteria for the EA Team of the Year is 2023. If the World Cup would have been in 2023, Messi would be in the team. He’s not because in 2023, he has played half a season, and he hardly played in Miami,” Neville claimed. The famous pundit preferred Real Madrid’s Vinicius Jr over Lionel Messi, who turned out to be in the final announced TOTY lineup. “Whereas, my player Vinicius Jr. has been sensational for Real Madrid. So, I am not having this continual emotional draw towards a player [Messi] who’s hardly played in a year. We think he’s an amazing player, but we can’t pick him for what he’s done in 2023 and in the MLS,” Neville added.

Carragher, however, surprisingly countered with doubts regarding Vini Jr’s stats. He questioned, “What’s Vinicius Jr. done this season?” To which Neville promptly responded, “In 44 matches he has scored 18 goals and 17 assists, that’s 35-goal involvement.” The conversation led to Carragher raising doubts about the difficulty of Vinicius Jr.’s opponents and Real Madrid’s trophy-less season.

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Jamie Carragher and Gary Neville’s combined XI for the EA FC 24 TOTY looks pretty sharp though. They chose Allison Becker in goal, alongside Trent Alexander-Arnold, Kim Min-Jae, Rúben Dias, and Federico Dimarco to make up the defense line. Rodri, Bernardo Silva, and Jude Bellingham mastered the midfield in the selection. After a heated debate, they agreed with Kylian Mbappe, Erling Haaland, and Vinicius Jr. for the front three.

It’ll be interesting to see who comes out on top in this most anticipated lineup for 2023. What do you think about Neville and Carragher’s combined eleven for the TOTY? Let us know in the comments section!

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