Kim Kardashian faced criticism for what some perceived as her “privilege” after her son, Saint West, had the opportunity to walk out with Lionel Messi as a mascot before Inter Miami’s match against LA Galaxy on Sunday night.
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(499x0:501x2)/lionel-messi-saint-west-022624-1-4be3fad29c7245b3923e164d9b351e5f.jpg "Kim Kardashian's son walks out with Lionel Messi 1")
The eight-year-old joined Messi as he emerged from the tunnel, a moment that was captured by Kim and shared on social media platforms. However, Kim’s post elicited backlash from some individuals who viewed the opportunity as a reflection of her social status rather than Saint’s genuine passion for football.
“Saint walking Messi out on the field tonight at the La Galaxy vs Inter Miami game!!! He is living the absolute dream!” she wrote. However, not everyone was as happy as Kim and many criticised the decision to let Saint walk with Messi.
“Would be awesome if some kid actually deserving of it got that opportunity. Not someone who was incredibly lucky to be born to billionaires,” one person shot back.
Another person slammed: “Money can buy happiness. Debate closed!” while a third agreed: “Whoever said money is not everything was lying. Even Messi can be bought.”
However, other fans rushed to defend Kim, with one person pointing out: “Saint is a huge soccer fan and has always loved it so much and that makes him extremely deserving. You think having a family and resources that make that available and possible for him make him less deserving? That’s very myopic thinking.”
Another fan insisted: “I mean he’s still a kid. I’m sure you would do the same for your son,” while someone else said: “Why is he less deserving because his parents are rich? That little boy just knows he loves soccer and that Messi is his hero. Just like any other kid his age with ‘normal’ parents. This narrative is so tired.”
Saint West’s passion for football, particularly his admiration for Lionel Messi, has been evident for some time. Last July, Kim Kardashian treated her son and his friend to tickets to witness Messi’s debut with Inter Miami.
The young football enthusiasts were vocal in their support for Messi during the match, chanting his name as he exited the pitch. Following the game, they had the opportunity to meet Messi in person, and the footballer graciously stopped for a selfie with them. Kim shared a heartwarming video of the encounter on Instagram, describing it as the “best days of their entire lives.”
In a display of further kindness, Messi also signed an Inter Miami shirt for Saint, which Kim proudly shared with her followers on social media.
