Paris Saint-Germain arrive at the Club World Cup as the newly crowned champions of Europe, but a clash with Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami in the Round of 16 this Sunday brings back memories of less delightful times for the French outfit.
PSG’s remarkable 5-0 thrashing of Inter Milan in Munich last month secured their first UEFA Champions League title, capping an extraordinary season for the Qatar-backed club under coach Luis Enrique.
It’s no coincidence that PSG achieved this pinnacle in their first season after decisively shifting their focus from acquiring superstar players to enabling a talented coach to collaborate with a driven, youthful squad.
The transfer of Kylian Mbappe to Real Madrid a year prior followed the exits of Neymar, the world’s most expensive player after his arrival in 2017, and Messi, during the summer that also saw Luis Enrique appointed coach.
When PSG swooped to sign Messi in August 2021, after a financially struggling Barcelona could no longer retain him, they believed he could be the missing piece for Champions League success.
Messi, then 34, shared this ambition.
“My dream is to win another Champions League, and I believe I am in the perfect place to achieve that,” he remarked at his unveiling.
Regrettably, the outcome was far from what was anticipated, either in Messi’s initial season in Paris under compatriot Mauricio Pochettino in 2021/22 or during the next under Christophe Galtier.
PSG had advanced to the Champions League final and semi-finals in the two seasons preceding Messi’s arrival, making him appear to be the final piece of the puzzle.
However, they regressed with him on board, getting eliminated from Europe’s elite competition in the last 16 for two consecutive years.
No reconciliation in sight
The challenge of incorporating Messi—who commands an estimated annual salary of 30 million euros post-tax—alongside Neymar and Mbappe may have enhanced their star power but ultimately diluted the team’s overall performance.
As Messi’s tenure began to sour, some PSG fans even booed him, questioning the Argentine’s commitment to the club.
Though Messi played a crucial role in leading Argentina to World Cup triumph in Qatar in late 2022, his brilliance was only sporadically evident at the club level.
Despite impressive stats of 32 goals and 35 assists over 75 appearances, and contributing to two Ligue 1 victories, he did help elevate PSG’s brand image.
Yet, a particularly telling quote from a columnist at French sports daily L’Equipe encapsulated the sentiment surrounding Messi’s time at PSG.
“PSG didn’t improve because of him…it felt like he had the same enthusiasm for playing in Ligue 1 as he would for a dental appointment,” Vincent Duluc wrote.
Fast forward two years, and Messi is now enjoying the twilight of his career in Major League Soccer with Inter Miami, having assisted the club in reaching the knockout phase of this Club World Cup.
As fate would have it, they are set to face PSG in the Round of 16 on Sunday in Atlanta, at the same venue where he netted a stunning free-kick to seal a 2-1 victory over Porto last week.
“All is not forgiven” was the headline of L’Equipe on Friday, highlighting the feelings of “failure and bitterness” stemming from Messi’s stint in Paris.
Miami’s coach, Javier Mascherano, believes that the memories of Messi’s difficult time in Paris may fuel his performance.
“Clearly, it’s advantageous for us if he plays with a chip on his shoulder, as he tends to elevate his game when he’s motivated,” Mascherano told ESPN.
With Luis Enrique and PSG eager to add a world title to their European accolades, any upset caused by Messi—just days after his 38th birthday—would undoubtedly sting even more.
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Compiled by SportArena.com.au.
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