Lionel Messi’s departure from Barcelona to PSG in 2021 shocked the world. The instability at the Catalan club and leadership issues prompted Messi to join a team he believed would give him a better chance at winning titles in Europe—but things didn’t go as he had imagined.
Messi moved to Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) during a blockbuster summer transfer window for the French club. Along with the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner, PSG signed Sergio Ramos, Gini Wijnaldum, Achraf Hakimi, and Gianluigi Donnarumma.
This star-studded squad was expected to dominate not only Ligue 1 in France but also Europe. Unfortunately, the latter goal proved too difficult.
Messi won Ligue 1 and other domestic honors during both of his seasons at PSG, but European glory continued to elude him. As it turns out, he didn’t enjoy his time at Parc des Princes at all. Former Toulouse midfielder Brecht Dejaegere, in an interview with RTBF (quoted by CBS), revealed:
“He told me that being at PSG was sht. Yes, sht.”
Lionel Messi wasn’t a fan of playing at PSG 👀 pic.twitter.com/NNxhZezunG
— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) October 8, 2024
Brecht asked him this question not while playing in France with Toulouse, but after joining Charlotte FC in MLS, where he squared off against Messi’s Inter Miami side. Brecht played in the American ‘soccer’ league in 2023 before returning to Belgian club Kortrijk.
At PSG, Messi remained one of the best players in the world, but many experts observed that he never seemed entirely comfortable. Despite having world-class talents around him, perhaps his two decades at Barcelona made him too accustomed to the Catalan club, and he never quite felt at home in Paris.
He won three trophies with PSG—two league titles and one Trophée des Champions—and in 75 games, he scored 32 goals and provided 35 assists.
In 2023, Messi decided it was time to leave Europe and moved to MLS to play for Inter Miami, where he recently won the Leagues Cup and is leading the team in the Eastern Conference standings.
