Messi Couldn’t Be ‘The Leader’ Alongside Mbappe & Neymar – Henry

Lionel Messi’s time at Paris Saint-Germain has been justified by Thierry Henry, who said that he couldn’t share “the boss” duties with Kylian Mbappe and Neymar.

Messi did not live up to expectations during his two years with PSG and departed the team in June after his contract expired. He then signed with Inter Miami of the Major League Soccer. Even though he was past his prime in his final few seasons with the club, he still managed to score 32 goals in 75 games, which was significantly fewer than the totals he was amassing at Barcelona. 

READ ALSO: ‘Without Busquets, Messi Would Find MLS League Harder’ 

Henry has defended his former Barca teammate, who was jeered by PSG fans near the conclusion of his stint in France, claiming that the culture at the Ligue 1 club made it impossible for him to succeed, especially since he had to share the spotlight with Mbappe and Neymar.

In an interview with former PSG midfielder Jerome Rothen, Henry was asked if he was disappointed with Messi’s stint in Paris – which yielded three trophies.

He said on RMC Sport: “No, I’ll say why. I remind you when I arrived at the beginning, on Amazon, I said ‘For me to play this team, it’s a headache’. I was once again talking about structure, organization. I know you’re going to laugh again, but how do you play with all three (Messi, Neymar, and Mbappe) at the same time?”

Rothen then asked: “They could still do better, they could be a little more invested, right? It’s just in his behaviour.”

Henry retorted: “I can’t say that. For what? Because it happened to me. When he (Messi) played with the Argentina team, a structure. There are not three Messis, just him. You put him in a framework where he alone is the boss [and he will shine]. But at some point, I’ll tell you something: I left Arsenal. This is something super important. I cried when I left Arsenal for Barca. It took me a year to realize that I had left Arsenal, in fact.”

The fact that PSG failed to win the Champions League while fielding a lineup that included Messi, Mbappe, and Neymar—who has since joined Saudi Arabia’s Al Hilal—says a lot about the club. Messi joined the French giants in the latter stages of his career, but their failure to take home the biggest trophy in Europe was not entirely his fault. The 36-year-old, who led Argentina to World Cup victory in 2022, is currently experiencing fresh life with Inter Miami after scoring 11 goals in his first 11 games for the team.

PSG plays Borussia Dortmund on Tuesday in the Champions League. PSG is currently ranked fifth in Ligue 1. Messi hopes to return to action for Inter Miami shortly despite suffering an injury while serving his country.