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Zlatan Ibrahimovic defended Lionel Messi after he suffered a heavy defeat to Paris Saint-Germain.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic has come to the defence of Lionel Messi after Inter Miami’s shambolic performances in the defeat to Paris Saint-Germain.
The Herons suffered a 4-0 defeat to PSG in the round of 16 of the Club World Cup. The four games came in the first half, and the Parisiens took their foot off the pedal in the second half, but the Miami-based team failed to capitalise.
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21:03 - 29.06.2025
The GOAT — Top Ballon d'Or contender hails Messi after PSG thrashed Inter Miami
Ousmane Dembele shares a beautiful moment with Lionel Messi after Club World Cup triumph.
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19:49 - 29.06.2025
Messi mocked, MLS called 'sandpaper league' after Inter Miami's Club World Cup humiliation vs PSG
Lionel Messi and Inter Miami face harsh criticism after a 4-0 thrashing by PSG in the FIFA Club World Cup, sparking social media mockery of MLS as the "sandpaper league."
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The match in brief
The quality gap was evident early on, with PSG's Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Bradley Barcola causing trouble for the Miami defense. A defensive lapse on a free-kick led to the opening goal, with Joao Neves heading home Vitinha's deep free-kick in the sixth minute.
PSG unleashed a barrage of attacks in the final stages of the half, doubling their lead through Neves' second goal and adding a third goal through an own goal by Tomas Aviles and a strike from Achraf Hakimi, all within a nine-minute span.
What Ibrahimovic said
After the match, Ibrahimovic said that the defeat should not be attributed to Messi, as he was let down by his teammates.
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“Messi's defeat? No, no, don't talk about the defeat as if it was his fault! Messi didn't lose; Inter Miami did,” he said, per Foot Mercato.
“Have you seen this team? Messi plays among statues, not teammates! If he was in a real team, in Paris, in Manchester, or in any big team, you would have seen the real lion.
“Messi only plays because he loves the game, because he can still do what 99% of players can't! But he's surrounded by those who run as if they were carrying bags of cement! 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. That's not the Messi I know; he's a big ghost who plays in a circus!
“But be careful; if you give him a real team, he'll burn the stadium down again! Because quite simply. Messi is still Messi, but today? It's not his defeat; it's the defeat of Inter Miami and football."
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