The Lionel Messi era at Paris Saint-Germain will officially end on June 30 when his contract expires. Afterward, the 35-year-old will sign with MLS side Inter Miami and continue his career in the United States.
CBS Sports reporter Jonathan Johnson appeared on the latest episode of PSG Talking and discussed Messi’s tenure. Johnson agreed with Kylian Mbappé’s recent statement regarding the Argentine’s treatment in the French capital.
Nonetheless, while the 2022 FIFA World Cup winner did hear boos and whistles during his time at PSG, Johnson adds that the Messi era shouldn’t be tainted for fans of Les Parisiens.
“He did have some good moments at PSG and I don’t think that PSG fans shouldn’t wish him well in the remainder of his career,” Johnson said. “At the end of the day, he’s one of the best players that have ever played the game and it was a privilege to see him sort of when he rolled those years back with a couple of brilliant goals or bits of magic at the Parc, it passed, didn’t quite work out the way people wanted it to.
“But I don’t think that means the PSG fans should have a tainted memory of Messi because the end of the day, Mbappé was right. I do think that he got a bit of a raw deal with the way that he was treated at times, and I think a lot of the frustrations that were vented towards Messi at the end of the season just gone. It wasn’t just about Messi; it’s about stuff that’s been building up for a couple of years now.”
How Messi will fare in MLS?
Finally, Johnson put in his remarks about how he sees Messi’s time in MLS going. The seven-time Ballon d’Or winner will be the face of the league as they look to push for a wider audience with Messi playing and allowing many potential fans to access games via their broadcasting partner Apple TV.
“I’m curious to see how it plays out for Messi with Miami,” Johnson continued. “They don’t look to be in the best shape right now based on where they are in the league table.
“But equally, I do think that he will have a good time a bit in MLS, at least for a couple of years. I still don’t think that I can really see him being part of the World Cup in 2026, so I’d be surprised if he’s still there by then.”