Lionel Messi never forgave PSG? The Argentine dotted with a personalized bag featuring every club he has played for except the French giants

Lionel Messi was spotted carrying a personalized bag with the crests of his former clubs, with PSG notably absent/ Image: X Lionel Messi has never been particularly short of reminders of the clubs and teams that have shaped his career, but a recent photograph has given fans something unexpected to explore. The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner was spotted arriving at Inter Miami’s training facility with a personal black bag emblazoned with several football crests. Barcelona, ​​Newell’s Old Boys, Inter Miami and Argentina were represented, but one club from his playing history was nowhere to be seen: Paris Saint-Germain.

The four crests on Messi’s bag and stick are missing from the collection

The photo, shared by Inter Miami, quickly attracted attention after supporters noticed the choice of badges on Messi’s personal drinks bag. The black insert features the crests of Barcelona, ​​Newell’s Old Boys, Inter Miami and the Argentina national team, representing the different stages of a career that took him from Rosario to the highest levels of European and international football.PSG’s absence was particularly noticeable as Messi spent two seasons with the French club between 2021 and 2023. His time in Paris was a significant chapter in his career, although it never developed into the kind of lasting relationship he forged with Barcelona.The photos have sparked debate on social media, with some supporters interpreting the missing sign as a deliberate snub to the Parisian club. However, Messi did not explain the selection or say whether the omission had any specific meaning. As a result, there is no confirmation that the missing badge was intended as a message to PSG, rather than just a personal choice about which crests to include.The other four symbols have a clear connection to his football journey. Newell’s Old Boys were the club where Messi developed as a young player in Argentina, Barcelona became the institution he is most closely associated with, Argentina represents his international career and Inter Miami is the club he joined after retiring from European football in 2023.

What happened during Messi’s two years at PSG?

Messi’s absence from the bag attracted attention in part because his departure from Paris followed a difficult period in which his relationship with the club’s supporters and hierarchy deteriorated. He joined PSG in August 2021 after Barcelona’s financial crisis and La Liga’s salary regulations prevented the Catalan club from registering a contract extension, despite both Messi and Barcelona wanting to continue the partnership.His arrival alongside Neymar and Kylian Mbappé sparked huge expectations, with PSG hoping the attacking trio would finally deliver the Champions League trophy. Messi produced impressive individual numbers, with 32 goals and 34 assists in 75 games over two seasons. He also helped the club secure two Ligue 1 titles and the 2022 Trophée des Champions. However, domestic success was not enough to satisfy supporters whose primary ambition remained European glory.

Paris: Lionel Messi, center, poses with his shirt with PSG president Nasser Al-Al-Khelaifi (left) and PSG sporting director Leonardo during a press conference at the Parc des Princes stadium in Paris on Wednesday. Lionel Messi said he enjoyed his time in Paris “from the first minute” after signing for Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday night. The 34-year-old Argentine star signed a two-year contract with an option for a third season after leaving Barcelona. AP/PTI(

PSG’s back-to-back appearances in the last 16 of the Champions League proved particularly damaging. Messi and Neymar have increasingly become the scapegoats for the team’s European failures, with sections of the club’s ultras directing boos and boos at the two strikers. The atmosphere surrounding Messi has become even more complicated after Argentina’s triumph over France in the 2022 World Cup final in Qatar. Despite returning to Paris as a world champion, Messi experienced a noticeable shift in reception from sections of the Parc des Princes crowd. He later acknowledged that the way he was treated changed considerably after the tournament, especially after Argentina’s victory over the host nation.His personal adjustment to life in Paris also proved difficult. Messi did not want to leave Barcelona and tried to establish the same sense of belonging that he enjoyed in Spain. He openly discussed his difficulties in adapting to a new environment and the problems that extended into family life. He even mentioned how restrictions and neighbors’ complaints, including concerns about his children playing soccer in the yard, complicate the move.The relationship with the PSG management reached its breaking point in May 2023. Following the defeat, Messi traveled to Saudi Arabia to fulfill an existing promotional commitment as a tourism ambassador. The club reportedly changed their training schedule at short notice, meaning he missed a scheduled training session due to the trip. PSG responded by imposing a two-week suspension, withholding his wages during that period and opening disciplinary proceedings against the Argentine. Messi subsequently issued a public video apology, but the incident further damaged an already strained relationship and effectively ended hopes of a contract renewal.Following his departure, Messi also expressed his disappointment that PSG did not officially celebrate his 2022 World Cup triumph, especially as he was the only member of Argentina’s winning squad to play for the French club. PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi later criticized the striker for speaking negatively about the club after his departure, proving that tensions continued after his departure.

Lionel Messi, left, and Neymar (Reuters Photo)

Messi eventually left when his contract expired in the summer of 2023, joining Inter Miami rather than continue his European career. Neymar, who also left PSG in the summer, subsequently reflected on his final spell in Paris as an unhappy experience, describing how the two friends felt isolated and unappreciated despite their contributions. Their experience helped explain why Messi’s apparent omission of PSG from his personal bag attracted attention, even though he did not publicly suggest that the omission of the French club’s crest was a deliberate snub.

From Newell’s Old Boys to Barcelona, ​​Argentina and Inter Miami

The four crests displayed on Messi’s bag show a career that began long before he arrived in Paris. Born in Rosario, Argentina, he first played football for Abanderado Grandoli, a neighboring club where his father helped coach him. At the age of six he joined Newell’s Old Boys where he developed into a youth wing known as Machine of the year ’87where he established himself as one of the most promising young players in the region.His move to Barcelona came in 2000 when he was 13 after the Spanish club agreed to bring him to their La Masia academy. He made his first team debut in October 2004 aged 17 and spent 17 senior seasons at the club. During this period he became Barcelona’s record goalscorer, won several domestic and European awards and established himself as one of the defining players in the history of the game.His departure in 2021 was due to Barcelona’s financial situation rather than a sporting decision to move elsewhere. After two seasons at PSG, Messi chose Inter Miami, joining the Major League Soccer club in July 2023 and starting a new chapter in the United States.

Argentina’s Lionel Messi (AP Photo/Gustavo Garello, file)

Argentina, meanwhile, remains the focal point of his career. After years of international disappointment, Messi captained the national team to victory at the 2022 World Cup, capping a major success that had eluded him for most of his career.The selection of crests in the bag therefore brings together four distinct parts of Messi’s football life, from his childhood in Rosario to his present at Inter Miami. PSG is absent despite the two seasons and trophies he won there. Whether this was intentional remains unknown, but given how his time in Paris ended, the missing badge was always likely to attract attention.