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Messi at PSG: highs, lows and lasting memories
- Paris Saint-Germain and Inter Miami CF clash in the round of 16 at the FIFA Club World Cup
- The Herons' global icon Lionel Messi spent two seasons at PSG
- As La Pulga prepares to face his former team, FIFA looks back his 24 memorable months in France
At first glance, it would be easy to believe that Lionel Messi’s time at Paris Saint-Germain between 2021 and 2023 fell short of expectations. Both the player and the club were hoping for more following the Argentinian’s blockbuster move to the French capital.
Messi was touted as the missing piece for a PSG team that had continuously fallen short in their bid for UEFA Champions League glory, but not even the highly-decorated superstar could get them over the line as they crashed out in the round of 16 in consecutive years.
While his spell at PSG failed to deliver a European trophy, Messi still dazzled the Parisians with moments of magic on the pitch – all flicks, feints and trademark brilliance. “From a sporting point of view, it didn’t really go as I’d hoped, but I have lots of very good memories,” said the Argentinian a few weeks after his departure from the French capital.
The day Messi arrived at PSG, 10 August 2021, will certainly remain engraved in the memories of many French people. The news of his arrival sparked an unprecedented media frenzy, with reporters and journalists at Le Bourget airport and the Parc des Princes scarcely able to believe their own words: the legendary Lionel Messi was bringing his immense talents to French shores. As La Pulga was announced, the only thought racing through the minds of countless fans was how they could secure a golden ticket to witness Lionel Messi grace the pitch in the flesh.
In the hours leading up to his arrival from his beloved Barcelona, where he had forged his legend, everyone in the French league was already talking about Messi, including Niko Kovac. The current boss of Borussia Dortmund, one of the teams through to the knockout round at the FIFA Club World Cup™, was coaching Monaco at the time. “Messi is the best player in the world,” he said at a press conference. “If [his signing] happens, it would be great for our league’s profile, but bad news for PSG’s opponents. But I love seeing him play. So, I’d love it if he came and I think everyone in France would be happy to see him play over here.”
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Long regarded as one of the most demanding and technically gifted leagues in world football, Ligue 1 has served as fertile ground for the rise of future icons. From Raymond Kopa and Michel Platini to Ronaldinho, Zinedine Zidane and Thierry Henry, France’s top flight has played host to the early chapters of many illustrious careers.
Yet, until recently, it had never been graced by a global icon at the absolute peak of his powers. Diego Maradona electrified crowds in Spain and Italy, but never set foot in Ligue 1. Johan Cruyff dazzled in the Netherlands and Spain, but bypassed France. The likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Marco van Basten, Ronaldo and countless other greats each charted their paths through other leagues.
The arrival of Messi, a legend of the game still operating at the highest level, sent shockwaves through Paris and beyond, igniting a wave of excitement rarely seen in French football history. “I want to thank the Parisians. It’s been a little crazy since I got here and that was the icing on the cake,” said the Argentinian on his arrival, a few hours after being welcomed by an electric atmosphere worthy of his native South America.
Despite arriving at the club carrying an injury, Messi’s qualities shone through and the magician was still able to light up Ligue 1 when he stepped on the pitch. He opened his PSG account with a superb strike in a 2-0 victory over Manchester City in the UEFA Champions League.
Completing a superstar attacking frontline alongside Neymar and Kylian Mbappe, the Argentinian regularly turned provider rather than goalscorer as the trio combined to dismantle opposition defences. After Lille had edged them out in 2020-21, the Parisian giants regained their domestic crown a year later and Messi would go on to add two French championships to his long list of honours.
Messi recorded 32 goals and 34 assists in his 75 outings for Les Rouge et Bleu. One of his most memorable moments came in a 5-0 thrashing of Clermont Foot, capped by a scintillating bicycle kick that looped over the goalkeeper, a display so sublime it earned him a standing ovation from the home fans. This early-season success in the 2022-23 campaign would ultimately serve as the launchpad for the greatest triumph of Messi’s storied career: lifting the FIFA World Cup Trophy™ at Qatar 2022.
By choosing Paris and Ligue 1 ahead of the global showpiece, Messi made a decision that proved not only strategic but historic. Competing in the French top flight offered him a highly demanding and elite environment, one that allowed him to stay sharp, motivated and at peak condition ahead of the world’s biggest stage. His meticulous preparation with the Parisian club provided the perfect backdrop for the greatest achievement of his life.
The only off-script element in the story was to beat the country where he was plying his club trade in the final: a 3-3 draw settled by a 4-2 penalty shoot-out. As a result, it was nigh-on impossible to celebrate his coronation in front of the French fans upon his return from the World Cup. “It was understandable, I was in the place where, because of us, they hadn’t been crowned world champions again,” Messi has since acknowledged.
His time in the French capital ended in disappointment, with PSG falling short of their European dream. It also brought to a close a long-running sporting project at the club. But in the end, it hardly mattered.
Two years on from his time in Ligue 1, French fans are still proud to have had him in their league. On 31 May 2025, when PSG finally won Europe’s ultimate prize, many felt that all the club’s recent stars, including Messi, had played a real part in the process that led to their first Champions League title.
This Sunday, Paris Saint-Germain and Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami CF will go head-to-head in the round of 16 of the Club World Cup at Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium. And as the Argentinian returns to the club whose colours he proudly wore when he was crowned world champion, there should be only warm embraces and standing ovations. The tone set by the French press ahead of this encounter speaks volumes: France has not forgotten Lionel Messi. Nor will it.
