So, according to RMC, Paris Saint-Germain is set to go up against Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami in the round of 16 for the Club World Cup. You can bet that a lot of Paris fans will be keeping a close eye on Messi during the match. It's been quite a ride for Messi since he left Paris. He’s had quite a bit to say about both the club and his time in the city, and RMC Sport put together a timeline of his comments. June 2023: “I wasn’t happy during those two years” Right after his last match for PSG against Clermont, which ended in a 2-3 loss, Messi opened up to Sport and Mundo Deportivo. He said, “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.” Ouch, that sounds tough. August 2023: “I didn’t want to go to Paris” When Messi was officially introduced at Inter Miami, he made it clear that the move from Barcelona wasn’t exactly his idea. “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 thankfully, this [Miami] is nothing like Paris.”
September 2023: “No recognition after winning the World Cup” In a chat on the OLGA YouTube channel, Messi shared his disappointment about the lack of celebration after Argentina’s World Cup win. “I’m the only World Cup winner who received no recognition.” He also recognized that the circumstances were a bit complicated: “I was in the country we had just beaten in the final.” A few days later, Neymar chimed in with his own thoughts, telling 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.”
October 2023: No mention of PSG at Ballon d’Or ceremony After snagging his eighth Ballon d’Or, Messi didn’t mention PSG at all—no players or staff, nothing. 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 even added, “I don’t think people wanted me to display the Ballon d’Or at the Parc des Princes.” January 2024: PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi responds In an RMC broadcast, PSG president Al-Khelaifi had something to say about Messi’s comments. “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.”
June 2024: “Neighbors stopped us from making noise” In an interview with ESPN, Messi opened up about the challenges of living in France, especially dealing 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.”
October 2024: Former Toulouse player says Messi called PSG spell “hell” Brecht Dejaegere, a former Toulouse player now with Charlotte in MLS, shared a chat he had with Messi after a match. He asked if Miami felt better than France. Messi replied, “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.” February–April 2025: “I didn’t feel right in daily life or training” In a February chat with Apple Music, Messi reflected once again on his tough 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.” Then in April, he added on Simplemente Futbol, “My family was fine, but I didn’t feel comfortable in daily life or training.” It’s a lot to unpack, right?
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