At the time of packing his bags for MLS and Inter Miami, Lionel Messi indulges in confidences. In an interview broadcast by beIN Sports, the Argentine superstar spoke of “a very difficult adaptation” to explain his mixed debut under the colors of Paris Saint-Germain.

“I came to Paris because I liked the club, I had friends there in the locker room (…) it seemed easier to adapt to me unlike somewhere else I could have gone,” said underlined Messi who celebrated his 36th birthday on Saturday. “In reality, it was a very difficult adaptation, much more than I expected” due in particular to “a new way of playing, new teammates, a new city”, enumerated the ” Pulga”, who arrived at PSG in the summer of 2021 after 17 seasons at FC Barcelona. “I arrived late, I had no pre-season preparation”, lamented the seven-time Ballon d’Or, according to whom “the beginnings were difficult for me, my family”.

His first season in which he scored just 11 goals in 34 games was also complicated after he contracted Covid in Argentina during the winter break, which forced him to “almost stop for a while”. a month “. “It took me a while to get back into physical shape,” said the 2022 world champion, who posted much more satisfactory performances at the start of the following season until the World Cup won in December with Argentina in Qatar.

“A break with part of the public”

“It’s no excuse but the World Cup played a big role,” he said. Some came back later than others, some got injured, like Neymar.” “I think that in general the level of the Championship or the Champions League has been impacted by this World Cup,” said Messi, who never hid after Argentina’s victory in Qatar that he had “achieved the most important goal for [him]”.

Hired at a golden price with the aim of winning the first Champions League for the Parisian club, the Argentinian will ultimately have failed in the round of 16 in 2022 against Real Madrid and in 2023 against Bayern Munich, “a very big disappointment “Which earned him to be taken in dislike by a fringe of PSG supporters. “At first it was great, I received a lot of encouragement (…) but afterwards, part of the Parisian public treated me differently. The majority treated me well, but there was a rift with part of the public,” he explained.

“I was lucky to win everything and that’s what will remain at the end of my career,” Leo Messi played down, however.