Pessi

Pessi , also known as Pionel Pessi , is a nickname given to professional footballer Lionel Messi that's used to criticize him for seemingly only scoring goals via penalties. The nickname was coined in 2012 on 4chan's /sp/ (sports) board during an FC Barcelona vs. Real Madrid match that had angry Cristiano Ronaldo fans involved. Pessi also became associated with an altered photo of Messi showing him as old, bald and toothless. The image macro first surfaced in 2022 but became a prominent meme on TikTok in early 2023 via crudely made video skits. Additionally, fans of Messi started calling Ronaldo " Penaldo " (an antithesis of Pessi).