'I had to rebuild my life' - Lionel Messi admits he 'wasn't prepared' to leave Barcelona as Inter Miami superstar opens up on 'difficult' spell at PSG

Messi's departure from Barcelona in 2021 sent shockwaves around the football world as the forward left the club he had joined at the age of 13 when his contract expired. The superstar said a tearful farewell at a hastily-arranged press conference and then left for Ligue 1 side Paris Saint-Germain, where he struggled initially to settle in the French capital.

After a frustrating first season with PSG, Messi went on to score 16 goals and bag 16 assists for the club in Ligue 1 in 2022-23. Messi won two league titles with PSG but could not inspire them to a first ever Champions League triumph and was criticised during his time in France. The superstar subsequently moved to Inter Miami and has quickly settled into life in the United States with his family, becoming an instant hit with the MLS side.

Messi told the Big Time podcast: "The change was difficult when I went to PSG, because I was doing very well in Barcelona and I planned to stay there. I was not prepared to leave, everything happened very quickly, I had to rebuild my life from one day to the next. I got to know another league, another club, a new locker room. It was a change that we were not looking for and that is why it was difficult at first."

He added on his illustrious career at Camp Nou, having left Argentina to chase his dream in Europe in his early teens: "For me it was difficult when I arrived in Barcelona. I was a child and I had to adapt to new friends, new country, new city, new people, new school. It was difficult for me at first, but I thought I was doing what I wanted, playing football, in a great team like Barcelona and that made me able to move forward, it was impressive and I enjoyed it a lot. They have always treated me very well in Barcelona, I am grateful to them."

Messi has a contract with Inter Miami until the end of the 2025 season, when he will be 38. It's not clear how much longer the Argentina icon will continue playing but he has spoken previously of his desire to return to Barcelona after a messy end to his phenomenal career with the Catalan giants.