In October 2023, the MLS regular season was ending as Charlotte FC and Inter Miami faced off in a 1-0 game, marking Lionel Messi‘s conclusion of his first half-season with the club. For Inter Miami, it was the end of the road; Charlotte FC would go on to lose their MLS Playoff wild card game against the New York Red Bulls.
On the field was Brecht Dejaegere, a Belgian midfielder who failed to live up to expectations for the club, playing 33 games and scoring just two goals. By mid-2024, Dejaegere had moved on to K.V. Kortrijk in the Belgian Pro League, but no one can ever take away the fact that this MLS flop played against the GOAT.
In an interview given to RTFB, Brecht Dejaegere shed some light on Lionel Messi’s time at PSG. The GOAT did not have kind words about his experiences in France.
Brecht Dejaegere Shares Lionel Messi’s Thoughts on PSG Time
Brecht Dejaegere told the RTFB outlet, “I asked him at full time if he felt better in Miami than he did in France… (Messi) told me that being at PSG was s***, yes, s***.”
Lionel Messi’s time at Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) marked a significant chapter in his illustrious career. After spending over two decades at FC Barcelona, Messi’s move to PSG was monumental, igniting excitement among fans and elevating the club’s profile in the global football arena.
Lionel Messi of Paris Saint-Germain during the Ligue 1 match between Paris Saint-Germain and Clermont Foot at Parc des Princes on June 03, 2023 in Paris, France. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)
During his two seasons in Paris, Messi, along with Neymar and Kylian Mbappé, failed to deliver the biggest prize the club had sought, which was the UEFA Champions League. Although Messi and PSG won multiple domestic titles, it did not live up to the expectations of the fans.
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Eventually, especially after the 2022 World Cup, Messi was jeered by the PSG fans, and he left for a much better situation at Inter Miami. Messi has never explicitly stated it, but he might have possibly moved to MLS sooner had it not been for the 2022 World Cup; discussions between MLS and the Messi family began as early as 2018.
