‘I admit Messi is the best player in history’
PSG President Nasser Al-Khelaifi praised Lionel Messi as the best player in history, but he also made it clear that he could not celebrate his victory at the World Cup because Argentina surpassed France and Kylian Mbappe. .
In an interview with RMC Sport, PSG President Al-Khelaifi said that fans might whistle Messi if they held a celebration for the Argentine superstar at the Parc des Princes.
The reason PSG rejected Messi
The PSG president does not want to have opinions against the club if Messi appears: “I admit that Messi is the best player in history . The sudden move from Barcelona to PSG is a big challenge for I respect Messi very much.
However, I do not accept people speaking ill of Paris Saint-Germain. I want to honor the players while they are here, not after they leave. I really like Messi, but if a player says bad things about PSG after the breakup, it’s not good. That’s not respect. Messi is not a bad person, but I don’t like it.”
Mr. Al-Khelaifi was unhappy because Messi’s words were not good about the club after he broke up. Photo: GETTY.
Mr. Al-Khelaifi continued: “Moreover, we do not celebrate Messi because he won the World Cup against the French team and PSG captain Mbappe. Because we are also a French team , so we did not hold a ceremony to honor Messi to avoid fans whistling at him.”
Lionel Messi played two seasons at PSG and played 75 matches. He scored 32 goals and had 35 assists during his time on the field in France before moving to Inter Miami in the summer.
Lionel Messi also told ESPN Argentina that the fact that PSG did not celebrate his victory at the FIFA World Cup made him feel sad, but he also understood their reason when sarcastically mocking PSG: “I am the only player in The team is not recognized by PSG. That is understandable. Because we are the Argentinian team that won the world championship , but also against the French team.”
The PSG president did not hold a world championship celebration for Messi because he won against France and the PSG captain. Photo: GETTY.
The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner added: “It happened like that. It wasn’t what I expected but I always say everything happens for a reason. Even though I wasn’t really happy here, I became world champion during that time.”
New villa in America and Messi’s new journey
It is important to know that Lionel Messi had the option to extend his contract for another season with PSG, but he decided to leave the club. He rejected offers from Al Hilal and Barcelona before moving to Inter Miami in the American Professional League (MLS).
The last time Lionel Messi played on the field was on November 21, 2023, when Argentina won 1-0 against Brazil in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers for South America. Since that match, Messi has spent time traveling with his family to many locations, including Morocco.
Messi’s new villa costs 10.8 million USD. Photo: GETTY.
This is the first long-term vacation that Messi has experienced since he began his professional football career, because the American professional tournament’s schedule takes place within a calendar year and Inter Miami cannot advance to the next round. play off.
During this time, Messi bought a villa worth $10.8 million in Fort Lauderdale, only about a 15-minute drive from Inter Miami’s stadium. His new property is 975 square meters, including 10 bedrooms, a spa, two docks, a swimming pool and a three-car garage.
Inter Miami is expected to participate in many tournaments in 2024, besides MLS there are also Leagues Cup, US Open Cup and C1 Cup in North Central America region. The team currently has four former Barcelona players, including Messi, Jordi Alba, Sergio Busquets and Luis Suarez, Messi’s close friend from Uruguay, who just joined the team at the end of last year.
