Considered to be one of the greatest-ever players in football history, Lionel Messi is worshipped by fans around the world. But even the Argentine genius had a phase, where instead of being worshipped, he was jeered by fans. That phase came at a later stage in his career, when he departed boyhood club FC Barcelona for PSG, in what was a sensational move.
Messi joined PSG as a free agent after his contract with the Catalan side expired. He moved to Paris in the 2021 summer transfer window, but failed to impress and departed last year. He was booed in his final Ligue 1 outing as PSG won the league title. He ended the season with the highest number of assists (16) in Ligue 1, but failed to deliver the Champions League title, which didn’t go well with fans. After PSG didn’t renew his contract, he joined Inter Miami in the 2023 summer transfer window in a shocking move.
Speaking to Amazon Prime, PSG attacker Kylian Mbappe said, “You always miss playing with Leo Messi. For a forward like me, you love running into space, with him [in your team] you are certain you can get the ball. It’s a luxury that only he can give you. Overall, playing with him, it has been special. Messi deserves all the respect and actually in France, he didn’t receive the respect he deserved.”
Meanwhile, Mbappe is rumoured to depart PSG for Real Madrid. The Frenchman led PSG to the Trophee des Champions triumph on Wednesday and sparked fresh controversy. Speaking to the media, he revealed that he is yet to decide on his future and already has an agreement with PSG.
According to reports, Real Madrid have been left frustrated by Mbappe’s words, and have set a deadline of mid-January for Mbappe to make a final call.