Lionel Messi Reflects on difficult, Unhappy PSG Spell

Lionel Messi has opened up about his “difficult” two-year spell at Paris Saint-Germain, stating he “didn’t enjoy” his time with the French club. The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner, now playing for Inter Miami in Major League Soccer (MLS), contrasted his experience in Paris with his current enthusiasm for the project in Miami.

Messi, 37, joined PSG in 2021 after a 21-year career with Barcelona. During his time in Paris, he scored 32 goals and provided 35 assists in 76 appearances. However, in an interview with Apple Music’s Zane Lowe, Messi revealed his struggles to adapt and find happiness.

“Coming to play for Inter Miami was an opportunity and the way things developed during my last years in Paris, although it was a decision that I had to make on the go, because I had to leave from Barcelona, I went through two years which I didn’t enjoy,” Messi said. “I wasn’t happy on a daily basis, with the training, the matches. I had a hard time adapting to all that. I felt called to come to Inter [Miami] because it’s a club that’s growing, very new, with few years as a club.”

Messi’s departure from PSG was marked by some acrimony. PSG chairman Nasser Al-Khelaifi criticized Messi for lacking “respect” for the club, and Messi himself acknowledged a “fractured” relationship with a segment of the Parisian fanbase.

Since joining Inter Miami, co-owned by David Beckham, Messi has expressed a desire to contribute to the growth of both the club and MLS. He has recorded 36 goals and 20 assists in 42 appearances. He also highlighted the significance of Miami hosting the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, a tournament that will feature PSG, as well as Premier League clubs Manchester City and Chelsea.

“I think this is very important for the club, especially, to participate for the first time in a World Cup that will take place in the country and for the MLS to have two teams is a wonderful thing,” Messi added. “Everything that’s happening creates an opportunity for the MLS to keep growing in football, as a league. And for other players to have the opportunity to come and keep growing.” Messi’s comments provide a candid insight into his contrasting experiences at PSG and Inter Miami, emphasizing his renewed enthusiasm for the sport in the United States.