“He is not a player who looks like a 7-time Ballon d'Or player” – Pundit claims Lionel Messi is ‘unrecognisable’ at PSG

French football pundit Nabil Djellit has criticized Lionel Messi for his form at PSG, stating that he does not look like a seven-time Ballon d'Or winner.

Djellit said he expects more than just one league goal from Messi. A football expert has labeled Messi's astonishingly underwhelming returns for PSG as 'science fiction'. Speaking on La Chaîne L’Equipe (via PSG Talk), Djellit said:

“If I had been told that Lionel Messi was going to land in Ligue 1. What I see during this first part of the season, Lionel Messi; I say Lionel Messi only scored one goal; for me, it is science fiction. But that’s the reality, unfortunately."

Djellit noted that Messi, at PSG, has not looked like a player who has won seven Ballon d'Or awards. He said the 34-year-old forward has been 'unrecognisable' in many games for the Parisian giants. He added:

“It is more about the basics of beating Pascal Nouma’s pole record with Strasbourg than anything else. He lacks success. He is not the player we know; he is not a player who looks like a seven-time Ballon d'Or player."

"He is unrecognisable. There is what PSG’s fault is, but there is also what he is doing, which is far from what we can hope for; we’re talking about Lionel Messi!"

Lionel Messi has had a slow start to his PSG career since his move from Barcelona in the summer. The 34-year-old forward has scored just one goal in the league in 11 games this season.

However, the seven-time Ballon d'Or winner has been far more prolific in the UEFA Champions League. Messi has scored five goals in as many group games. PSG are now drawn against Real Madrid in the Round of 16 of the European competition.

Lionel Messi is PSG's first-ever Ballon d'Or recipient

Lionel Messi became the first PSG player to win the Ballon d'Or after winning the prestigious 'Golden Ball' in 2021.

The 34-year-old forward beat the likes of Robert Lewandowski and Jorginho to win a record-extending seventh Ballon d'Or award. Messi secured the award after scoring a total of 613 points, while second-placed Lewandowski managed 580.

The closest a PSG player came to winning the Ballon d'Or before Messi was Neymar, who finished third behind Cristiano Ronaldo and Messi in 2017. Messi has two more Ballon d'Or awards than Ronaldo.

Also take a look into Lionel Messi's car collection, from his most expensive wheels to his least expensive ones.