Messi Opens Up: Inter Miami Move Was Escape from PSG Misery

TDT | Manama
Email : editor@newsofbahrain.com

Lionel Messi has lifted the lid on his move to Inter Miami, admitting that an unhappy two-year stint at Paris St Germain drove him to seek a fresh start in Major League Soccer. Speaking in an Apple Music interview on Friday, the 37-year-old Argentine icon described his time in Paris as a chapter he “didn’t enjoy”—a rare glimpse into the personal toll of his post-Barcelona years.

“Signing for Inter was an opportunity because of how things went in my last years in Paris,” Messi said. The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner, who left PSG as a free agent in 2023, didn’t mince words about his struggles. “I wasn’t happy day-to-day—with the training, the games. I found it hard to adapt.”

Messi’s PSG spell wasn’t without silverware. He claimed two Ligue 1 titles and a French Super Cup across 2021 to 2023. But after a glittering 20-year career at Barcelona—where he won 10 LaLiga titles, four Champions Leagues, and three Club World Cups—the transition to Paris proved jarring. Forced out of his boyhood club in 2021 due to financial constraints, he signed a two-year deal with PSG, only to find the fit uneasy.

The tipping point came after 2022’s World Cup triumph in Qatar, where Messi captained Argentina to glory. Back at PSG, the mood shifted. A faltering Champions League campaign saw fans turn on him, their frustration boiling over into boos. A suspension followed an unauthorised trip to Saudi Arabia that saw him miss training, and by the summer of 2023, the writing was on the wall.

Messi opted for Inter Miami over reported lucrative offers from Saudi Arabia, a decision he now frames as both personal and purposeful. “MLS has matured and keeps growing,” he told Apple Music. “I hope it continues, and that other clubs can follow Inter Miami’s example to lift the competition.” Since his arrival, Inter have soared—titles have followed, and the league’s profile has spiked, underscored by moments like his appearance against NYCFC at Chase Stadium on February 22.

For Messi, Miami has been a reset—a chance to rediscover joy after Paris. At 37, he’s not just playing; he’s shaping a league’s future, one game at a time.