Ibrahimovic criticized Inter Miami: 'Messi plays with statues, not with teammates.'

After Inter Miami was eliminated in the round of 16 of the Club World Cup after a resounding 4-0 defeat against Paris Saint-Germain, Zlatan Ibrahimovic offered a harsh analysis of the current situation of the American team and the role of Lionel Messi.

In an interview with the French outlet Foot Mercato, the former Swedish striker stated: "Leo Messi didn't lose, Inter Miami lost. Messi plays with statues, not teammates. He's surrounded by players who run as if they're carrying bags of cement." From his perspective, the lack of hierarchy and competitiveness of the squad limits the Argentine star's performance.

Ibrahimovic, who played alongside Messi at Barcelona, emphasized: "This isn't the Messi I know. If you put him on a real team, he'd go all out." He also questioned the club's structure: "There are no coaches, no stars, not even players who understand how to move without the ball."

Messi's opinion

After the match, Lionel Messi shared his perspective in statements to DSports. The Rosario native acknowledged the superiority of the French team and praised their current form: "PSG is a great team, they're Champions League winners for a reason," he remarked.

At 38 years old, Messi highlighted the collective effort and reflected on Inter Miami's journey in the tournament: "We tried to do our best, I think we left a good impression at the Club World Cup. We competed. That's it, it's over and we have to focus on what's next."

He also recalled the draw against Palmeiras in the group stage, which complicated the tournament bracket: "We were winning 2-0 and ended up drawing. That made us face this Paris, which is much more difficult."

Finally, after the match played in the United States, several PSG players greeted Messi, including Ousmane Dembélé, who shared a photo on social media expressing his respect for the Argentine captain.