David Beckham has made his feelings clear about Lionel Messi following his latest World Cup heroics08:30, 11 Jul 2026David Beckham is on the same page as Neymar when it comes to Lionel Messi's off-pitch conduct. The Argentina maestro is writing another glittering chapter in his World Cup story, leading his country to the quarter-finals with eight goals so far.‌His latest came in the thrilling and controversial 3-2 victory over Egypt, who led 2-0 with 11 minutes of regulation time left. Just when the holders looked to be heading out, Argentina roared back with late goals from Cristian Romero, Messi and Enzo Fernandez.‌The 39-year-old shed tears of joy after the epic comeback as he was feted by team-mates and fans around the world. While no one needs reminding of his brilliance on the pitch, less is known about his behaviour away from it.‌Beckham and Neymar know better than most what he is like. The former England midfielder is a co-owner of Inter Miami, where Messi plays his club football, while the Brazilian was a team-mate at Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain.Get the latest World Cup news straight to your inbox by signing up to our Make Football Great Again newsletter now!After the Egypt game, Beckham took to social media to laud Messi. Alongside a picture of the great man, he wrote: "The is one very special Human. Not just because of what he does on the pitch but who is off it." In another post, alongside a picture of Messi, he added: "Nothing more to say."‌Those comments echo Neymar's thoughts, which he aired earlier in the tournament. He told DSports: "Leo is a much better person off the field. He's good on the field, imagine what he's like off it. That's why I'm so glad I played with him. He's a great friend. We talk a lot. He knows I love him very much."The plaudits for Messi were accompanied by controversy. Egypt were left furious when, at 1-0 up, a second-half effort from Zico was ruled out by VAR, while the officials refused to check a penalty claim after Mohamed Salah went down under Alexis Mac Allister's challenge in the build-up to Fernandez's added-time winner.‌Egypt head coach Hossam Hassan fumed: "We looked better than the reigning champions, better in everything, but the result was influenced by internal factors on the pitch and external factors off it."Perhaps they wanted to keep the world champion in the competition. Perhaps they wanted Messi to stay in the running.‌"In football, there are sometimes external factors that go beyond the technical aspects. The world champion received support at every level. There seem to be pressures from the Argentina side on this outcome."Argentina are now preparing for the quarter-final against Switzerland, which kicks off at 2am on Sunday UK time. Victory will set up a semi-final against England, provided Thomas Tuchel's side beat Norway.Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.Article continues below