Legendary Swedish striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic has come to the defense of Lionel Messi after Inter Miami‘s heavy defeat to Paris Saint-Germain in the Club World Cup.
Despite his teammates failing to live up to expectations, Messi stood out, orchestrating passes and building moves for his team. However, Inter Miami weren’t a match for PSG, and the result saw Messi being trolled, with many fans saying that the Argentine great is well past his prime.
Ibrahimovic wasn’t in agreement with the criticism of Messi, and he blasted Inter Miami players for letting him down. “Messi’s defeat? No, no, don’t talk about the defeat as if it were his fault! Messi didn’t lose, Inter Miami did! Have you seen the team? Messi plays with statues, not teammates! If he was in a real team, in Paris, Manchester, in any of the big teams, you’d have seen the real lion,” Ibrahimovic told Foot Mercato.
The former PSG star also berated those questioning Messi, saying the standard of players he was with and the level of the Major League Soccer (MLS) he features is extremely low. “There are no coaches, no stars, not even players who understand how to move without the ball! You want to blame Messi? When he plays with Ronaldo, with Mbappé, with Haaland, with Zlatan. Then you can talk! But today? No, no, no, no, no.”
Ibrahimovic feels that Messi can still perform at the top level, but needs better teammates. “But be careful, if you give him a real team, he’ll burn down the stadium again! Because, quite simply. Messi is still Messi, but today? It’s not his defeat, it’s the defeat of Inter Miami and of football.” Ibrahimovic’s comments highlight the importance of having a strong team around a talented player like Messi.
The result of the match saw PSG progress into the quarter-finals, where they will face Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich. The French Ligue 1 giants will be looking to continue their good form against the German champions, and Messi’s performance will be crucial in determining the outcome of the match. Despite the criticism he faced after the match, Messi’s talent and dedication to the sport are still widely admired, and Ibrahimovic’s comments serve as a reminder of his greatness.