Lionel Messi left Paris Saint-Germain to join Inter Miami in Major League Soccer after spending two fairly lacklustre years there.
The 36-year-old is regarded as one of, if not the all-time GOAT, of football’s best players.
He was virtually revered in Barcelona, but the Parisian populace never quite showed him the same level of adoration.
The 2022 World Cup winner won a few league championships during his two years at Le Parc des Princes, but his failure to guide the team to Champions League success marred his tenure. Leo was occasionally the object of teasing from fans in the City of Light.
David Trezeguet, a former player for Juventus, nevertheless defended Messi. The 45-year-old explains that France never really acknowledged actual talent in an attempt to explain why the legendary star suffered in that country.
The star of Euro 2000 told ESPN Argentina via Tuttosport that France has never understood Messi because the nation has never valued brilliance.
“His arrival in Ligue 1 was an opportunity to make a less attractive championship more attractive than the Premier League, Serie A, La Liga and I would even say the Bundesliga.
“However, France has never appreciated Messi’s talent. A player who changes hierarchies at all levels in football, guaranteeing you a comeback in terms of image and prestige as few others can.
Rarely did Ligue 1 have the opportunity to welcome a player of this calibre. We who have a history—me, Henry, Dugarry, and Lizarazu—have taken a lot of heat for standing up for Messi.
“Our error? Siding with talent and the football’s magic.
