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Ousmane Dembele summed up Lionel Messi with a two-word comment following Paris Saint-Germain's 4-0 thrashing of Inter Miami on Sunday, June 29. The match, played in Atlanta, was the first time Messi played against one of his former sides.
A brace from João Neves, an own goal by Tomas Aviles, and a stirke from Achraf Hakimi in the first half were enough to see PSG book their spot in the quarter-finals of the Club World Cup.
Inter Miami talisman Lionel Messi played the full 90 minutes in Atlanta but posed little threat in the contest as the Ligue 1 giants completely outclassed them.
After the match, Messi was visibly dejected and took to Instagram to express his disappointment, writing:
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"Today the Club World Cup ends for us with a defeat against the current champion of the Champions, where there are people I appreciate and gave me joy to see again. We leave with pride to have achieved the goal of making it to the top 16 of the tournament. Now to focus on the @mls and all that is coming...."
Dembele commented on the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner's post, writing:
"El mejor'' which when translated to English means "the best"
Lionel Messi and Ousmane Dembele were teammates at Barcelona between 2017 and 2021. While Messi played the entirety of the game, Dembele was brought on as a substitute in the 62nd minute, with his side already four goals ahead.
"Good to see you again" - Ousmane Dembele on reuniting with Lionel Messi
Despite playing as rivals for 28 minutes of football in Atlanta, Lionel Messi and Ousmane Dembele still share the camaraderie they had at Barcelona. Messi was consoled after the defeat as his former teammates walked up to him to exchange pleasantries. Hakimi, who scored Paris Saint-Germain's fourth, asked to swap shirts with the Argentine icon.
Dembele, however, went one step further - taking both Messi's shirt and shorts as mementos. Expressing his delight at seeing his former teammate again, the Frenchman wrote on Instagram:
"Good to see you again @leomessi, the greatest of all time.. I hope you continue to make history with the @intermiamicf like in this World Club."
Lionel Messi and Ousmane Dembele have shared the pitch 95 times, combining for 15 goals. With their Club World Cup journey over, Messi and Inter Miami will now turn their focus to the Major League Soccer, where they currently sit sixth in the standings. PSG, meanwhile, will face Bayern Munich in the quarter-finals of the competition.
