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Lionel Messi makes it obvious he hated life at PSG as Inter Miami superstar reflects on being forced out of Barcelona.
Lionel Messi acknowledges that leaving Barcelona for Paris Saint-Germain was “not something I wanted” and that life at PSG was “tough” for him and his family.
It became apparent in the summer of 2021, following career-long ties with La Liga giants Barcelona, that the funds were not available at Camp Nou for a new contract to be put in place.
Because of this, Messi said a tearful goodbye to Catalunya and decided to join Neymar and Kylian Mbappe in Paris Saint-Germain.
The seven-time Ballon d’Or winner’s time in France did not go as planned since at one point, the club’s own supporters began to jeer him. Messi admits that a stay in Paris was never part of his big career plan.
Messi, who has rediscovered his best form and enjoyment of club football since linking up with MLS side Inter Miami in 2023, has said of his past and present: “As I said at the time, my departure to Paris was not something I wanted, it was not something I wanted to leave Barcelona and, so to speak, it was from one day to the next. And, well, I also had to get used to a place that was totally different from where I had been living all my life, both in terms of the city and in a sporting sense, and, well, it was difficult, but the opposite of what is happening to me now here [in Miami].”
In a separate interview with ESPN, Messi admitted that he and his family found it “rough” during his time at PSG, adding: “This is what I was looking for when we made the decision with my family. To enjoy it once more, as I’ve done my whole career, after two difficult years, the truth is we had it rough. But as luck would have it, we’re in a place where we’re happy not just because of the results on the pitch but because of the everyday life with my wife, my kids, our lifestyle and the way we spend our time. Truth is, we’re enjoying this moment very much.”
Messi scored 32 goals in 75 games with PSG, but he was only able to win two Ligue 1 titles in France rather than the coveted Champions League trophy.
Within weeks of his arrival, Inter Miami is on the verge of winning the Leagues Cup thanks to his nine goals in six games.
He added on potentially delivering a first trophy for the MLS outfit in just their third season of existence: “It would be amazing, wouldn’t it? Both for me and for all the people who are fans of the club, for the club itself. We want to be a point of reference and winning a title would help a lot in that. It is a very young club, it has been around for a very short time, and to win our first title would be great for all of us.”
Messi signed a two-and-a-half-year contract with Inter Miami when he arrived in the United States, but that contract includes a 2026 extension option, so he could still play in the World Cup finals in America, Canada, and Mexico that year, despite stating that he has no plans to do so at the moment.