Facing Former Club: French media recap Messi’s repeated criticism of PSG

According to French outlet RMC, Paris Saint-Germain will face Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami in the Club World Cup round of 16. The former PSG player is expected to draw close attention from Paris fans.

Since leaving the French capital, Messi has frequently criticized both the club and his life in Paris. RMC Sport has compiled a timeline of his remarks.

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June 2023: “I wasn’t happy during those two years”

On June 3, 2023, shortly after his final game for PSG against Clermont (a 2–3 defeat), Messi told Sport and Mundo Deportivo that he was not happy in France:

“I wasn’t happy during those two years, I didn’t enjoy it. That affected my family life—I missed out on a lot of time with my kids.”

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August 2023: “I didn’t want to go to Paris”

During his official unveiling at Inter Miami, Messi clarified that leaving Barcelona was not his choice:

“As I said back then, I didn’t want to leave Barça. Everything happened overnight. After spending so many years in Barcelona, I had to quickly adapt to a new environment. It was tough. But fortunately, this [Miami] is nothing like Paris.”

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September 2023: “No recognition after winning the World Cup”

In an interview on the OLGA YouTube channel, Messi expressed disappointment over the lack of celebration after Argentina’s World Cup victory:

“I’m the only World Cup winner who received no recognition.”

Still, he acknowledged the public’s disappointment:

“I was in the country we had just beaten in the final.”

Days later, Neymar told O Globo:

“Messi went through hell in Paris. We both did. We gave our all. We were champions, we wanted to make history… but unfortunately, it didn’t happen.”

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October 2023: No mention of PSG at Ballon d’Or ceremony

After winning his eighth Ballon d’Or, Messi did not mention PSG, its players, or staff despite spending two years with them. At the press conference, he said:

“From a sporting point of view, things didn’t go as I’d hoped, but I have some good memories.”

He added:

“I don’t think people wanted me to display the Ballon d’Or at the Parc des Princes.”

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January 2024: PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi responds

In an RMC broadcast, PSG president Al-Khelaifi responded to Messi’s remarks:

“I respect him a lot, but speaking poorly of PSG is not right. That’s not respect. He’s not a bad person, but I don’t like that. I expect players to speak up while they’re here, not after they’ve left. That’s not our style.”

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June 2024: “Neighbors stopped us from making noise”

In an ESPN interview, Messi talked about the challenges of living in France, especially with his neighbors:

“In Paris, they’d ring our doorbell at 9 or 10 p.m. to say the kids shouldn’t be playing with the ball. They stopped us from making noise. I don’t blame them, but unfortunately, things didn’t go as we or they had hoped. It affected my mental state and my performance on the pitch. I didn’t feel good personally in Paris.”

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October 2024: Former Toulouse player says Messi called PSG spell “hell”

Former Toulouse player Brecht Dejaegere, now playing for Charlotte in MLS, shared a conversation with Messi after a game:

“I asked him if Miami felt better than France. He told me playing for PSG was hell. Yes, hell. At first, the PSG fans were welcoming, but after the Champions League elimination, he was shocked—he got booed every match. He’d had enough.”

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February–April 2025: “I didn’t feel right in daily life or training”

In a February interview with Apple Music, Messi again touched on his unpleasant time at PSG:

“Those two years weren’t enjoyable. I was unhappy every day, in training and matches. It took me a long time to adjust.”

In April, on Simplemente Futbol, he added:

“My family was fine, but I didn’t feel comfortable in daily life or training.”