Lionel Messi has talked for the first time about the sour relationship he endured with Paris Saint-Germain supporters by admitting there was a “rift” at the Parc des Princes.

The Argentine superstar arrived in the French capital in the summer of 2021 following his shock exit from Barcelona and won two league titles during his time with French giants but endured a rocky relationship with the club’s supporters before sealing a move to Inter Miami.

Speaking to RMC Sport, he said: “At first it was great, I received a lot of encouragement as I’ve often said, but then people started to treat me differently, some of the Paris fans. The majority, on the other hand, treated me as well as they did at the start.

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“There was a rift with a large section of the Paris crowd. Of course, it wasn’t my intention. But these are things that have already happened with Mbappe and Neymar too, it’s their way of doing things. But I still remember all those people who supported me, as they did at the start.”

Messi scored just six league goals in his debut campaign and then failed to push PSG towards their first-ever Champions League win. However, last season, Messi ended with the highest number of assists in the league with 16 and was also included in the UNFP’s Ligue 1 Team of the Season alongside teammates Achraf Hakimi, Nuno Mendes, and Mbappe.

He was linked with a return to former club Barcelona, as well as with a big-money move to Saudi Professional League club Al-Hilal, but his eventual decision to sign for Major League Soccer (MLS) club Inter Miami was communicated to Barcelona president Joan Laporta by June 5, 2023.