Lionel Messi opens up about 'fractured' relationship with PSG fans

Lionel Messi has ended his two-year stint with Paris Saint-Germain, and has confirmed that the next chapter of his professional career will take place in the United States with Major League Soccer Side (MLS) Inter Miami. Ahead of the big move across the Atlantic, he opened up about the final months of his stay in France, wherein he faced abuse from fans of his own club.

Throwback to Messi's arrival in Paris

Back in the summer of 2021, PSG fans could not believe that their club was unexpectedly signing the Argentine just days after former Real Madrid captain Sergio Ramos was presented to the Parc des Princes.

Bringing together the captains of the two biggest clubs in Spain was something that gave PSG immense bragging rights at the time. Ramos arrived after failing to reach an agreement with Los Blancos for an extension. On the other hand, no one believed that Messi would not be playing for Barcelona that year.

However, even though Messi wanted to stay with the Catalan giants, their finances simply could not support his extension, therefore allowing PSG to swoop in. The excitement in the city was palpable as Messi and his family arrived in Paris. In an interview with BeIN Sports, he said that "in the beginning it was something wonderful," but it soon became clear that the expectations were high and that he would not be able to live up to them.

What went wrong for Messi at PSG?

After massive success with Barcelona throughout his career, Messi was seen almost as a football God. PSG fans expected him to bring every bit of glory to the club, but he had a slow start to the 2021-22 season. He was mostly underwhelming when he was on the pitch, and frequent trips to Argentina for national team duties also broke his momentum.

Some minor injuries and a long bout with Covid-19 in the middle of the season also meant that Messi failed to impress in his first year in Paris.

After having adjusted to his new club, Messi started to show more moments of brilliance in the 2022-23 season, but the momentum was cut when the season had to take a break to make way for the winter World Cup in Qatar. Incidentally, he led Argentina to victory in the final against France.

In the second half of the domestic season, Messi admitted that he really started to feel that some fans were treating him very differently. "I think the vast majority still see me and treat me as they did at the beginning, but there was a fracture with a significant group of the Paris fans, which obviously wasn't my intention, far from it," he said.

The 35-year-old said that he knew how the same hostility from the club's fans was sometimes experienced by teammates like Neymar Jr. and Kylian Mbappe. Moving forward, he said that he simply wants to focus on those who continue to support him. "I'll take away with me the people who respected me, as I always respected everyone since I arrived and that's all."

The fact that Argentina defeated France in the World Cup final may have played a role in the anger coming from the French supporters, but Messi said he had no idea if that was the case.

The animosity made it clear that he would not stay longer

Even casual observers knew that Messi would not stay with PSG after the expiration of his two-year contract. The club itself did not speak about offering an extension, and for most of the season, a possible return to FC Barcelona has been in the headlines.

As the boos got louder for Messi in France, the club even had to provide more security around his family and his home. Protests even erupted after he was suspended by the club for taking an unauthorised trip to Saudi Arabia to fulfil commitments with the Saudi Tourism Board.

In his final match for the club after confirming his departure, the fans made it clear that they were not happy with him, with audible boos ringing out at the stadium. It was clear that Messi's chapter with PSG has ended and not on a good note.

What's next for the superstar?

Before confirming his move to Inter Miami, Messi was heavily linked with a sensational Barcelona comeback. However, the uncertainty surrounding the club's finances and the scandals that they are facing made him decide to go in a different direction.

He cited his unexpected exit in 2021 as the cause behind his decision, stating that he did not want to put all his cards in Barcelona again only to find out that a deal could not be reached through no fault of his own.

On the opposite end of the financial spectrum, Saudi Pro League team Al-Hilal was reportedly ready to make Messi the highest paid footballer in the world. However, he chose to go for a "calmer" move to the MLS, where he has agreed to join David Beckham's club. He will be joined there by fellow Barcelona legend Sergio Busquets.

Messi said that after winning the World Cup with Argentina, he has nothing left to prove and that he feels he has already achieved everything that he needed to as a footballer.

"I achieved the most important goal I had, which was to win the World Cup with my national team and it was something extraordinary, the way everything happened," he said. Even though he also has seven Ballon d'Or trophies among many other individual awards, he said that he never gave them more importance than the team trophies.