"I had a hard time adapting to all that" - Lionel Messi admits he didn't enjoy his 2 year stint at PSG before Inter Miami switch

Lionel Messi has revealed that he did not enjoy his two-season stint at Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) between 2021 and 2023. The Argentine superstar signed for the French giants as a free agent after leaving Barcelona in August 2021.

Lionel Messi's sudden departure from Barcelona came as a shock to football fans four years ago. He was forced to leave his boyhood side because Barca was unable to renew his contract owing to LaLiga's Financial Fair Play rules. During his two seasons in PSG, La Pulga contributed 32 goals and 35 assists in 75 appearances across competitions. He also led the side to two Ligue 1 titles and one French Super Cup.

In an interview with Zane Lowe on Apple Music, Lionel Messi recalled his two seasons with PSG, claiming he had a hard time there.

“Coming to play for Inter Miami was an opportunity and the way things developed during my last years in Paris, although it was a decision that I had to make on the go because I had to leave from Barcelona, I went through two years which I didn’t enjoy," he said.

“I wasn’t happy on a daily basis, with the training, the matches. I had a hard time adapting to all that. I felt called to come to Inter because it’s a club that’s growing, very new, with few years as a club," he added. (via Football Mad UK)

Messi left Paris Saint-Germain to join MLS side Inter Miami in the summer of 2023, where he currently plies his trade. Since his arrival, he led the Herons to their first two titles in their brief history - the 2023 Leagues Cup and the 2024 Supporters' Shield. He was also named the MLS Most Valuable Player (MVP) last year.

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"We lived through hell, both he and I" - When Neymar Jr. recalled Lionel Messi's years at Paris Saint-Germain (PSG)

Messi and Neymar (L to R) - Source: Getty

In an interview with Globo's Esporte Espetacular in June 2023, Lionel Messi's former teammate Neymar Jr. recalled his difficult time in PSG. He said (via ESPN):

"I was very happy for the year he had, but at the same time very sad, because he lived both sides of the coin. He went to heaven with the Argentina team, won everything in recent years, and with Paris he lived hell, we lived through hell, both he and I."

The Brazilian also admitted that he and Messi were unable to create history for the French side, and added:

"We get upset, because we're not there for nothing, we're there to do our best, [to] be champions, try to make history. That's why we started playing together again, we came together there so we could make history. Unfortunately, we didn't make it."

Neymar Jr and Lionel Messi shared the pitch for PSG in 45 games across competitions with 11 joint-goal participations. The duo also shared the pitch for Barcelona between 2013 and 2017. It is worth noting that the Selecao superstar shares the highest number of joint-goal participations with Lionel Messi out of all players in his career.