LAGOS, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA) – Lionel Messi won’t present his eighth Ballon d’Or at Parc des Princes, acknowledging his less-than-ideal time at PSG.
Messi revealed that he doesn’t think PSG fans would want him to parade the Ballon d’Or after his stint in Paris didn’t meet his expectations.
Despite enjoying life in the French capital with his family, Messi admitted that his time at Paris Saint-Germain from a sporting perspective didn’t go as planned.
“At a press conference following the 2023 ceremony in Paris,” he stated, “I’m not sure the Parisians want me to present the Ballon d’Or at Parc des Princes.
“My time in Paris did not go as I had hoped for various reasons. I spent two years in Paris, and I have some very good friends there. I enjoyed the city a lot.
“My children liked it a lot, and it was hard for them to leave Paris because they weren’t ready to move and wanted to stay in their school with their friends.
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“I was fortunate to have lived in an incredible city for a while. From a sporting perspective, things didn’t go as I had hoped, but I remember all the good experiences I’ve had, and there have been many.”
Messi joined PSG in the summer of 2021 after leaving Barcelona due to the expiration of his contract.
After initially struggling to adapt to Parc des Princes, he had a much better second season.
However, his relationship with the club and fans soured, and supporters even began to boo the superstar during the closing weeks of the 2022-23 season.
Messi, who criticized PSG for not acknowledging his World Cup victory with Argentina in December, decided against signing a new contract in Paris and chose to continue his career at Inter Miami in MLS instead.
Inter Miami’s 2023 season concluded on 21 October after they failed to qualify for the MLS playoffs.
The club has organized two friendlies against local teams in China for November, providing Messi with some time off until 2024.
