Lionel Messi, now the captain of Inter Miami, has once again found himself in the middle of a storm after his recent comments about his former club, Paris Saint-Germain (PSG). Following PSG’s painful home defeat to Bayern Munich at Parc des Princes, Messi publicly shared his thoughts on what went wrong — and his words, though calm, cut deep into the pride of the Parisian team.
According to reports from French media, Messi “pointed out” five main reasons why PSG failed miserably against the German giants. First, he claimed that PSG’s lack of unity both on and off the pitch continues to be their biggest weakness. “No team can win important games if players don’t trust each other,” he reportedly said. Second, he blamed the tactical confusion under Luis Enrique’s leadership, hinting that the coach “doesn’t seem to understand how to maximize players’ abilities.”
The third reason Messi mentioned was overconfidence — a toxic mindset that, according to him, has haunted PSG for years. “They walk into games thinking they’ve already won,” he said. Fourth, he criticized the lack of mental toughness when facing strong opponents, suggesting that PSG players tend to “lose focus after conceding a single goal.” And finally, Messi’s fifth point was perhaps the most brutal — he accused the club of being too focused on individuals rather than the collective spirit.
His comments spread like wildfire across Europe. Fans were divided: some praised Messi for his honesty, saying “he just spoke the truth that everyone sees but no one dares to say,” while others accused him of “disrespecting his former teammates.”
But the real explosion came when Vitinha, one of PSG’s midfielders and former teammates of Messi, directly responded on social media. The Portuguese player furiously wrote, “This is not your business anymore. You left the club, so take care of yourself and your American league. We don’t need your opinions.”
This message, though deleted shortly after, had already gone viral. Screenshots flooded the internet, and the football world erupted with reactions. Reports suggest that Messi was furious when he saw Vitinha’s words, feeling “deeply disrespected.” Sources close to Messi revealed that he found it “unbelievable” that a young player like Vitinha would dare to speak to him that way, especially given everything he contributed to PSG during his two years in France.
Fans of Inter Miami immediately came to Messi’s defense, calling Vitinha “ungrateful” and “arrogant.” One fan wrote: “Without Messi, PSG wouldn’t have even reached the Champions League knockout stage last season. Show some respect.”
Meanwhile, PSG fans seemed divided. Some agreed with Messi’s assessment, admitting that “he’s right, the club lacks team spirit,” while others felt that “Messi should move on and stop talking about PSG.”
As of now, Messi has not made any further public statement, but insiders claim he’s “deeply disappointed” by the disrespect shown. Some even say he may refuse future invitations from PSG for anniversary or commemorative events.
This controversy has once again shown that even after leaving Paris, Messi’s influence still looms large over the French club. Every word he says carries weight — and every criticism, intentional or not, cuts straight into PSG’s pride.
Whether this was a genuine attempt to offer constructive criticism or a subtle expression of lingering frustration, one thing is clear: the tension between Messi and PSG is far from over. And after Vitinha’s bold words, it seems a new chapter of rivalry — between the legend and his former teammates — has just begun.
