Latest news with #Neymar
Straits Times
8 hours ago
- Sport
- Straits Times
PSG's Club World Cup reunion with Lionel Messi recalls unhappier times
ATLANTA – Paris Saint-Germain have come to the Club World Cup as newly crowned champions of Europe, but a meeting with Lionel Messi's Inter Miami in the last 16 on June 29 brings back memories of unhappier times for the French club. PSG's 5-0 demolition of Inter Milan in May which allowed them to win the Uefa Champions League for the first time completed an incredible season for the Qatar-backed side under the coaching of Luis Enrique. It is no coincidence that they achieved their crowning glory in their first season after shifting their focus away from signing superstar players to instead allow a brilliant coach to work with a hungry, dynamic young team. Kylian Mbappe's move a year ago to Real Madrid followed the departures in 2023 of Neymar and Messi, in the same summer Enrique was appointed. When PSG pounced in August 2021 to sign Messi after a cash-strapped Barcelona were unable to keep him, they logically thought the Argentinian could be the man to deliver elusive Champions League glory. Messi, who was 34 at the time, thought the same thing. 'My dream is to win another Champions League and I think I am in the ideal place to have that chance and to do it,' he said at his unveiling. Alas, it did not work out that way, either in Messi's first season in Paris, under compatriot Mauricio Pochettino in 2021-22, or in the next campaign under Christophe Galtier. PSG had got to the Champions League final and then semi-finals in the two seasons prior to Messi's arrival, so he looked like the final piece in the jigsaw. Instead, they went backwards with him in the side, going out of Europe's elite club competition in the last 16 two years running. Having to fit in Messi as well as Neymar and Mbappe may have increased PSG's star appeal, but it weakened them as a team. Towards the end, the Barcelona legend was even being jeered by some sections of the PSG support who felt that his commitment to the cause was not what it should have been. Messi was a PSG player when he inspired Argentina to World Cup glory in Qatar in late 2022, but there were only flashes of his genius at club level in France. His statistics stand up to any scrutiny, with 32 goals and 35 assists in 75 appearances, and he did win two Ligue 1 titles while helping increase PSG's value as a brand. But one memorable quote by a columnist in French sports daily L'Equipe rather summed things up. 'PSG have not been better than they were before because of him... and he seemed to have as much desire to play in Ligue 1 as he did to go to the dentist,' wrote Vincent Duluc. Fast forward two years and Messi is enjoying the twilight of his career in Major League Soccer with Miami, the team he has helped to qualify for the knockout stage of this Club World Cup. Fate has therefore thrown up a last-16 showdown with PSG in Atlanta, at the same stadium where he scored a marvellous free kick to secure a 2-1 win over Porto last week. 'All is not forgiven,' said the front page of L'Equipe in France on June 27 as it described the feelings of 'failure and bitterness' left behind from the Argentine's spell there. Miami coach Javier Mascherano believes the unhappy memory of his time in Paris could spur Messi on. 'It's clear that for us it's better if he plays angry, because he's one of those players who, when he has something on his mind, gives an extra effort,' he told ESPN. With Enrique and PSG boasting big ambitions of adding a world title to their European crown, there would be even more bitterness felt if Messi – days after his 38th birthday – managed to knock them out. AFP Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
The Sun
10 hours ago
- Sport
- The Sun
SG vs Inter Miami Club World Cup clash rekindles Messi's turbulent Paris stint
PARIS SAINT-GERMAIN'S triumphant UEFA Champions League victory last month marked a new era for the club, but their upcoming Club World Cup clash with Inter Miami this Sunday reopens old wounds. The reunion with Lionel Messi, now starring for the MLS side, reminds PSG fans of a period marked by unfulfilled expectations. PSG's dominant 5-0 win over Inter Milan in the Champions League final signaled their evolution under Luis Enrique, shifting from a star-studded squad to a cohesive, youthful team. This transformation came after the departures of Messi, Neymar, and Kylian Mbappé, whose exits allowed the club to rebuild strategically. When Messi arrived in Paris in 2021, hopes were sky-high. 'My dream is to win another Champions League, and I think I am in the ideal place to have that chance,' Messi said at his unveiling. Yet, despite flashes of brilliance, his two-year stint fell short. PSG regressed in Europe, exiting in the last 16 twice, a stark contrast to their previous semi-final and final appearances. The Argentine's mammoth €30 million annual salary and the challenge of balancing his role alongside Neymar and Mbappé often left PSG disjointed. By the end, sections of the Parc des Princes crowd turned on him, questioning his commitment. Though he delivered 32 goals and 35 assists in 75 games, his impact was deemed insufficient. French sports daily L'Equipe captured the sentiment: 'PSG have not been better than they were before because of him... and he seemed to have as much desire to play in Ligue 1 as he did to go to the dentist.' Now, Messi seeks redemption in Atlanta, where his stunning free-kick last week propelled Inter Miami past Porto. PSG, meanwhile, aim to cement their global dominance. Miami coach Javier Mascherano hinted Messi might channel past frustrations: 'When he has something on his mind, he gives an extra effort.' With pride and progression at stake, Sunday's clash promises high drama—will Messi haunt his former club, or will PSG's new-look squad prove they've moved on?
The Sun
10 hours ago
- Sport
- The Sun
PSG vs Inter Miami Club World Cup clash rekindles Messi's turbulent Paris stint
PARIS SAINT-GERMAIN'S triumphant UEFA Champions League victory last month marked a new era for the club, but their upcoming Club World Cup clash with Inter Miami this Sunday reopens old wounds. The reunion with Lionel Messi, now starring for the MLS side, reminds PSG fans of a period marked by unfulfilled expectations. PSG's dominant 5-0 win over Inter Milan in the Champions League final signaled their evolution under Luis Enrique, shifting from a star-studded squad to a cohesive, youthful team. This transformation came after the departures of Messi, Neymar, and Kylian Mbappé, whose exits allowed the club to rebuild strategically. When Messi arrived in Paris in 2021, hopes were sky-high. 'My dream is to win another Champions League, and I think I am in the ideal place to have that chance,' Messi said at his unveiling. Yet, despite flashes of brilliance, his two-year stint fell short. PSG regressed in Europe, exiting in the last 16 twice, a stark contrast to their previous semi-final and final appearances. The Argentine's mammoth €30 million annual salary and the challenge of balancing his role alongside Neymar and Mbappé often left PSG disjointed. By the end, sections of the Parc des Princes crowd turned on him, questioning his commitment. Though he delivered 32 goals and 35 assists in 75 games, his impact was deemed insufficient. French sports daily L'Equipe captured the sentiment: 'PSG have not been better than they were before because of him... and he seemed to have as much desire to play in Ligue 1 as he did to go to the dentist.' Now, Messi seeks redemption in Atlanta, where his stunning free-kick last week propelled Inter Miami past Porto. PSG, meanwhile, aim to cement their global dominance. Miami coach Javier Mascherano hinted Messi might channel past frustrations: 'When he has something on his mind, he gives an extra effort.' With pride and progression at stake, Sunday's clash promises high drama—will Messi haunt his former club, or will PSG's new-look squad prove they've moved on?
Yahoo
21 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Lionel Messi believes PSG ‘protected' Kylian Mbappé
The reasons for Lionel Messi's (38) 'bitterness' towards his former club, Paris Saint-Germain, are multiple. Chief among them is a sense that his teammate at the time, Kylian Mbappé (26), was 'protected' by the club, whilst he was the subject of fierce criticism from the PSG fan base, especially towards the end of his time. Messi left PSG in the summer of 2023 upon the expiry of his two-year deal. There had been rumours throughout his final season that his contract would be renewed, however, the final nail in the coffin proved to be his unauthorised trip to Saudi Arabia in May 2023. The World Champion was sanctioned and, despite an apology and a re-integration into the first-team set-up, the relationship had turned sour. Advertisement Since, Messi has criticised PSG on several occasions, revealing his unhappiness during his stint at the club. Someone close to the player at the time has now told L'Équipe of the various gripes that contributed to what Messi has since described as a 'difficult' moment in his career. 'He didn't have one good moment in Paris. He couldn't go out. He found himself in the middle of the Neymar-Mbappé rivalry. He even felt that the club protected the Frenchman and didn't even honour his World Cup title. In Barcelona, he was a God. He was used to taking his kids to school, the sun… it was a lot of things combined,' they said. Messi, towards the end of his time at PSG, was booed by the Parc des Princes crowd. The Inter Miami forward will face his former club in the FIFA Club World Cup this weekend. GFFN | Luke Entwistle
Irish Independent
a day ago
- Sport
- Irish Independent
Simone Inzaghi proud as Al-Hilal set up Club World Cup knockout stage clash with Manchester City
Al-Hilal showed they could compete with the best teams in the world when they held Real Madrid and Red Bull Salzburg to draws in their first two games under new coach Simone Inzaghi. They have conceded just one goal in their three matches, sharing the best defensive record of the group stage with Paris St Germain and Monterrey. Al-Hilal, majority owned by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, have signed a string of world-class players over the last two years including Neymar, Malcom, Ruben Neves, Marcos Leonardo and Aleksandar Mitrovic. Although Neymar has left the club and Mitrovic remains sidelined with a calf injury, the depth of the squad has allowed Al-Hilal to weather the pressure of the big stage. Al-Hilal coach Simone Inzaghi: 'Our goal was to achieve (being in) the group of the best teams in the world. 'It was not an easy task, but the team was well united. It fought during the three games for a great objective ... we were not coming here just to have fun, we were coming here to play a World Cup and we wanted to reach this stage. 'Now we'll have to play against Manchester City ... it's one of the greatest teams in the world. These are the games where you can improve and you can mature as a team, so I'm very proud.'
