'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
French newspaper L'Equipe have warned Lionel Messi that not everything has been forgiven, with a five-word headline on the front page of their publication. They published the message just a day before Paris Saint-Germain's (PSG) FIFA Club World Cup round of 16 clash against Inter Miami, which is set to take place on Sunday, June 29.
Lionel Messi joined PSG as a free agent from Barcelona in the summer of 2021, plying his trade there for two seasons before joining Inter Miami in 2023. Despite helping the Ligue 1 giants win three trophies, including two league titles, the 38-year-old was reportedly unhappy during his time at the club.
In an interview with Apple Music earlier this year, Messi said (via Yahoo Sports):
“I wasn’t happy on a daily basis, with the training, the matches, I had a hard time adapting to all of this. The way things have evolved in my last years in Paris, even though it was a decision that I had to make immediately because I had to leave Barcelona, I lived there for two years and I didn’t like it. I wasn’t happy on a daily basis, in training, in games, I had a hard time adapting to all of this."
Trending
Lionel Messi is now set to lead Inter Miami in a round of 16 showdown against his former club. L'Equipe added to the tension, writing on their front page (via Athlon Sports h/t @InterMiamiZone on X):
"Messi ..not everything is forgiven."
Many fans believe this headline is a sign of revenge due to Messi's comments on PSG. The latter are firm favorites to advance to the quarter-finals after recently winning the 2024-25 UEFA Champions League.
However, other fans reckon the headline is for the France national team, after Lionel Messi's Argentina defeated them in the final to win the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
"Didn’t even honour his World Cup title" - Insider reveals why Lionel Messi didn't enjoy his time at PSG
A L'Equipe insider has revealed that Lionel Messi didn't enjoy his two-year tenure at PSG due to finding himself between the alleged rivalry of Neymar and Kylian Mbappe. Additionally, the Argentine ace allegedly felt that Les Parisiens protected the latter and didn't honor his 2022 FIFA World Cup triumph.
The trio of Messi, Neymar, and Mbappe were expected to run riot in Europe. However, they were unable to find success in the UEFA Champions League due to their poor chemistry on the pitch.
The insider explained why Lionel Messi felt alienated at the club and opted to leave for Inter Miami in 2023, saying (via GOAL):
"He didn’t have one good moment in Paris. He couldn’t go out. He found himself in the middle of the Neymar-Mbappe rivalry. He even felt that the club protected the Frenchman and didn’t even honour his World Cup title. In Barcelona, he was a God. He was used to taking his kids to school, the sun…it was a lot of things combined."
Despite his reported unhappiness, Lionel Messi flourished at PSG in terms of his end product, recording 32 goals and 35 assists in 75 appearances across all competitions.
