‘He Didn’t Respect Anyone’ – French Pundit Blasts Lionel Messi Over Post-PSG Criticism | OneFootball

PSG booked their place in the knockout stage of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup with a 2-0 victory over the Seattle Sounders on Monday at Lumen Field, topping their group. That win sets up a high-profile clash with Inter Miami, led by former PSG star Lionel Messi.

Inter Miami seemed headed to win Group A after jumping to a 2-0 lead against Palmeiras, but the Brazilian team fought back with two second-half goals to secure a draw and the top spot. That left Inter Miami in second place, setting the stage for their showdown with PSG in the next round.

Messi spent three years at PSG from 2021 to 2023 after his surprising departure from FC Barcelona. He formed a star-studded attack alongside Neymar Jr. and Kylian Mbappé, but despite the talent, PSG never made it past the UEFA Champions League Round of 16, falling to Real Madrid and Bayern Munich.

Lionel Messi on the receiving end of criticism

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Ahead of the match on Thursday, there’s a lot of comments over the Argentine’s tenure in the French capital. RMC Sport’s Jérôme Rothen went after Lionel Messi for his criticism of PSG since his exit in 2023, noting that the Parisians were the only lifesaver he had when leaving Barcelona in 2021.

“Everyone is open to criticism,” Rothen said on RMC Sport. “Even more so when you’ve made a mockery of the world at Paris Saint-Germain for two years, even though it’s PSG that saved you. First, your salary, because Barcelona kicked you out since they couldn’t pay you anymore, and because no club in Europe would have allowed you to earn that much while staying at the highest level to win the World Cup. We clearly understand that’s why you came to Paris.”

“But then why do you complain afterward? Why do you say they kicked you out and that the club didn’t respect you? But did you respect the people here? He didn’t respect anyone, and even less the French, because he kept shooting until February. He was so brave that he had to go all the way to the United States to tear down Paris Saint-Germain and France.

“His story and the fact that his family was unhappy — do you know where they lived? Do you know Paris and its surroundings? They lived in Neuilly, in a 500-square-meter house, protected from everyone and with a private school for his children. And you think he was bothered there? No, don’t try to make us believe that!”