Lionel Messi spoke to Sport about his time at Paris Saint-Germain, two years after leaving the club. The Argentine explained that while he wasn’t unhappy in his personal life, he had lost the joy of playing football, even though he and his family had a positive experience living in Paris.
Messi: “The truth is, I didn’t feel good day to day doing what I love”
“When I said I didn’t feel good there, it’s because I wasn’t happy doing what I love — playing football, the daily routine, training, matches,” he clarified. “But honestly, we had a very good family experience. The city is spectacular — we loved it. It was the first time we had left Barcelona, and everything was new for us. The truth is, I didn’t feel good day to day doing what I love (football).”
Messi has never really hidden his disillusionment during his time in Paris. In this interview, he draws a clear line between his personal life — which he says he “loved” — and his professional experience, where his sense of joy had disappeared. The French capital charmed him as a city, but not as a football environment: far from Barcelona, in a context where he struggled to thrive, the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner seemed disconnected from his passion.
He now expresses that feeling with clarity: Paris was a magnificent setting for the man, but an emotional maze for the player. A sincere confession that closes a chapter of his career that was as prestigious as it was frustrating.
