He joined forces with Kylian Mbappe and Neymar in the French capital with the aim of turning the team into a global force and finally delivering them some success in Europe. It didn’t quite pan out like that, though. After just two years, Messi decided to move on from that experiment and made the switch to the United States.
Having joined Inter Miami in 2023, the Argentine came up against Dejaegere again. Having first encountered him at Toulouse, the Belgian had since moved to Charlotte FC and they went head-to-head in MLS instead. It was shortly after that encounter that the midfielder approached Messi and asked him about his experience in France and the superstar didn’t hold back.
Messi Didn’t Enjoy His Time at PSG
He branded it s***
Now with their new teams, Messi faced off against Dejaegere once again and shortly afterwards, the midfielder approached him and asked how his experience in the United States had differed to his time in France with PSG. While the Inter Miami man didn’t remember him initially, he went on to slam his former club to his opponent, who revealed it all afterwards, via the Daily Mirror.
“At the final whistle, I asked him if he felt better in Miami than in France. He was surprised, and I told him I’d played against him with Toulouse at the Parc des Princes. He didn’t remember me… but it was my childhood dream come true.
“It was a real thrill to meet him… And so, that day, he told me that for him, PSG was ‘la merda’. Yes, s*** (he bursts out laughing), because although the Parisians had been very welcoming at first, he had taken a dislike to them after the failure in the Champions League: he was getting whistled at every ball and he was fed up.”
With the benefit of hindsight, it’s fair to say that Messi’s frustration about his time in France is entirely justified. Considering the level of talent in the team, his spell at PSG has to go down as a failure.
Messi Had a Rough Time in France
PSG’s superteam didn’t live up to its potential
With Mbappe, Neymar and now Messi leading the front line, the sky was seemingly the limit for PSG and it felt inevitable that they would finally win the Champions League. While they’ve dominated French football and won countless Ligue 1 titles in recent years, they have never been able to get over the hump and take that form and success into Europe.
That hasn’t changed, either. Despite adding the greatest footballer of all-time, PSG failed to live up to expectations and Messi himself didn’t have the best of times. When he arrived in France, the former Barcelona man was met with a hero’s welcome. After their struggles, though, the PSG fans turned on him and he was met with jeers on the pitch.
In 75 games, he scored 32 goals and created 35 assists, which is a very impressive return for just about anyone else, but it wasn’t the standards that he’d previously set. Deciding to move to Inter Miami in 2023, he’s rediscovered his previous blistering form and he seems to be enjoying his time in Florida much more.
All statistics courtesy of Transfermarkt and accurate as of 09/10/2024
