PSG defeated Inter Milan 5-0 to win the UEFA Champions League 2024-2025. That was the result when PSG decided to shift their focus from signing contracts with superstars, to having a talented coach work with a young, dynamic team eager to win.
Kylian Mbappe moved to Real Madrid in the summer of 2024. A year earlier, Messi and Neymar also left the French team.
In August 2021, PSG signed Messi after Barcelona ran out of money and could not keep him, the French team clearly showed their ambition to want the Argentine superstar to help them win the Champions League.
At that time, Messi was 34 years old and he also had similar ambitions.
"My dream is to win another Champions League title and I think I am in an ideal position to have that opportunity and do that," Messi shared at his PSG debut ceremony at that time.
But things did not go as Messi expected. In the 2021-2022 and 2021-2022 seasons, PSG were both eliminated early in the round of 16 of the UEFA Champions League despite having Messi in the squad. In the two seasons before Messi's arrival, PSG had reached the finals and semi-finals of Europe's number one tournament.
Messi's collaboration with Neymar and Mbappe brought PSG a look, but it did not help the French team become stronger, as a team.
In his final time playing for PSG, Messi was even mocked by a part of the team's fans who felt that Messi's dedication to the team was not as expected. Even some experts do not highly appreciate the Argentine superstar's contribution to the French team.
With 32 goals and 35 assists in 75 appearances for PSG, Messi has won the Ligue 1 twice with the team and helped increase PSG's brand. But overall, Messi does not have many beautiful memories with the team in the capital Paris.
At the height of his career, Messi is trying his best to help Inter Miami. He scored an important goal against FC Porto, helping the home team pass the group stage of the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 and face PSG in the round of 16. A memorable confrontation.
Miami coach Rafael Mascherano believes that bad memories of his time in Paris can motivate Messi.
"It's clear for us that it would be better if Messi played angry, because he's the type of player who tries his best when he has something on his mind," Mascherano told ESPN.
Luis Enrique's PSG are ambitious to win the FIFA Club World Cup after being crowned in Europe. It would be bitter if Messi - on his 38th birthday with Inter Miami defeated them in a direct confrontation.
The Inter Miami vs PSG match will take place at 23:00 on June 29.
