“I was used to it” - Lionel Messi tells Zidane what he missed the most while playing at PSG

Lionel Messi has stated that the No. 10 jersey was the one thing that he missed the most during his time at Paris Saint-Germain (PSG).

The Argentine superstar left Barcelona after 21 years to join the French club on a free transfer in the summer of 2021. He was handed the No. 30 jersey, as the No. 10 kit was occupied by his former Barca teammate Neymar Jr.

Messi did wear the No. 10 jersey on a few occasions in the French Cup as the competition rules don't allow numbers over 11 for the starting XI. However, he donned the No. 30 jersey for the vast majority of his time in Paris.

The 36-year-old recently sat down for an interview with Zinedine Zidane, sponsored by Adidas football, where he admitted (h/t GOAL):

"When I was in Paris, I was not wearing the number 10 jersey. Since those years when I played for the national team in Barcelona, I was used to always wearing the number 10 jersey.

"Even though it's not a big deal, I missed the number 10 jersey the most when I was at PSG, because I was used to it. And that's what the number 30 means. I started playing with number 30, my first match was with number 30, so there's something special about that for me too."

Messi initially wore No. 30 and later, No. 19, during his formative years in Barcelona's senior team. He was handed the iconic No. 10 jersey in the 2008-09 season and he wore it until his exit in 2021.

The Argentine superstar did not have the best of times in the French capital, where he failed to lead them to UEFA Champions League glory. Neymar described his and Messi's time at PSG as 'hell'.

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Lionel Messi's record at PSG before Inter Miami transfer

Lionel Messi played for PSG for two seasons, registering 32 goals and 35 assists in 75 games across competitions and winning two Ligue 1 titles.

The former Barcelona superstar, however, failed to register a single goal or an assist in the four UEFA Champions League knockout games that he played in for the French club. His second season in France was better than his first.

During his debut season, the Argentine superstar recorded 11 goals and 15 assists in 34 games. That number increased to 21 goals and 20 assists in 41 games across competitions in the following campaign.

Lionel Messi did not renew his deal at the Parc des Princes and instead joined Inter Miami on a two-and-a-half-year deal this summer. Needless to say, he was handed the No. 10 jersey and the captain's armband by the Miami-based outfit.