Lionel Messi is set to face his former side as Inter Miami take on PSG in their upcoming FIFA Club World Cup Round of 16 fixture, in Atlanta on Sunday.
It will be a bittersweet reunion for Messi, as the Argentine had a disappointing stint with the Ligue 1 outfit. PSG are also managed by Luis Enrique now, who is Messi’s former coach at Barcelona.
Messi’s time at PSG ended in shocking circumstances back in 2023, as he was also booed by fans in multiple occassions during his last season in France.
The breaking point
According to media reports, Messi’s relationship with PSG turned sour when he missed training to travel to Saudi Arabia to honour a meeting with a sponsor. It was without PSG’s permission, and the club also wanted to show that they were bigger than an individual. In response, PSG banned Messi for two weeks and also docked his wages for that period.
Messi even apologised, asking for forgiveness from his teammates in a video, where his entourage dressed him like a bizarre manner, according to a L’Equipe report. The World Cup winner also wasn’t happy with the way he had to rejoin the squad, and he became bitter to the heirarchy.
The upcoming meeting could avoid any controversy as Enrique had a sensational stint at the Camp Nou. Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymer played together under him, scoring 364 goals and bagging 173 assists. During that stint, Barcelona also won nine titles, including two La Ligas, three Copa del Rey titles and one Champions League.
Ahead of the match, Suarez said, “He has been very important to my career. What I learned from him and just being around him. I had a competitive DNA before I played for him, but he upgraded it even more.”
Miami will also be underdogs in the showdown, considering PSG’s recent Champions League success.