Lionel Messi aimed public dig at PSG as Inter Miami set up awkward Club World Cup reunion
Lionel Messi aimed a rare dig at Paris Saint-Germain following his spell at the club as Inter Miami have set up a tie against his former side at the Club World Cup.
Inter Miami played out a 2-2 draw with Palmeiras on Tuesday as they finished second in Group A - behind their Brazilian counterparts.
The MLS team, who won one game and drew two matches during the group stage phase, face last season's Champions League winners PSG in a blockbuster last-16 tie.
It will see Messi go up against his old side following his spell with the French giants between 2021 and 2023.
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PSG snapped up the Argentine icon with view to winning the Champions League, which he failed to deliver during his two-year spell.
But they managed to secure their first European title in last season's triumph over Inter Milan.
Messi, however, inspired Argentina to World Cup glory during his spell in Paris.
However, upon returning to his club, he aimed a dig at PSG - claiming he did not receive recognition for winning the World Cup.
"I was the only player that didn't receive recognition from the club compared to my 25 other teammates," he told Olga.
Messi's jibe spread quick as Nasser Al-Khelaifi hit back with a blunt response.
"Outside there is a lot of talk, I don't know what he did or what he didn't say," said the PSG president. "As everyone saw we even published a video, we congratulated Messi in training, and also in private, but with respect we are a French club."
Messi also apparently told an opponent that life at PSG was 'crap'.
That's according to former Toulouse and Charlotte FC player Brecht Dejaegere, who spoke to the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner following an MLS clash.
"At the final whistle, I asked him if he felt better in Miami than in France," Dejaegere told RTBF. "He was surprised... I told him that I had played against him with Toulouse at the Parc des Princes. He didn't remember me, but it was my childhood dream come true.
"Messi has always been my favourite player! It was crazy to meet him. And so, that day, he told me that for him, at PSG, it was 'crap'. Yes, 'crap'. Because if at the beginning, the welcome from the Parisians had been good, he had been taken against following the failure in the Champions League: he was whistled at every ball and he was fed up."
After PSG's Ligue 1 title-winning campaign last season, Al-Khelaifi emphasised the club's transformation, seemingly making reference to their superstar era.
"Everyone across the world of football has seen and admired the development of the Paris Saint-Germain team in this new era - our philosophy is based on the collective above everything else," he said. "The star of Paris Saint-Germain is the team, and this star is shining so brightly."
Topics: Lionel Messi, Inter Miami, Football, PSG
Nasir Jabbar