Zlatan Ibrahimovic came to Lionel Messi’s defense after Inter Miami’s exit from the FIFA Club World Cup, comparing the superstar’s teammates to mere “statues.”
During the round of 16 match on Sunday, Inter Miami and Messi faced a 4-0 loss against his former team, Paris Saint-Germain. Ibrahimovic, who shared the pitch with Messi at Barcelona, expressed his disappointment with Miami’s display, especially conceding four goals in the first half against the Champions League winners.
“It wasn’t Leo Messi who lost; it was Inter Miami,” the former Sweden striker stated.
“Messi plays with statues, not teammates. He is surrounded by players who run as if they were carrying bags of cement.”
Ibrahimovic, who had a short stint in MLS with the LA Galaxy, lamented that fans missed out on witnessing Messi’s true talent at the Club World Cup due to the lack of skill in Inter Miami.
“This isn’t the Messi I know,” he said. “If you placed him in a real team, he would give his all. There are no coaches, no stars, and not even players who know how to move without the ball. If he were part of a genuine team, any great team, you would see the true lion.
“Messi plays alone, driven by his passion for the sport, showing skills that 99% of players can only wish for. But, this isn’t the Messi I know,” he said.
The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner, Messi, decided to focus on the positive. Miami, after beating FC Porto 2-1 in the group stage, made history as the first MLS team to win against a European club in an official match and remains the only MLS team to move on to the knockout stage of this tournament.
“It was the match we expected,” Messi, 38, remarked following his team’s disappointing defeat to PSG. “We aimed to perform to our best, and we left a good image at the Club World Cup level.”
