The mark that players leave on each club is indelible, not only for their fans but also for their teammates. Gianluigi Donnarumma still remembers his two seasons alongside Lionel Messi at Paris Saint-Germain.
However, the current Manchester City goalkeeper did not highlight the Argentine’s footballing talent, but rather what surprised him most was a personal aspect.
Donnarumma praises Messi
The 26-year-old goalkeeper (who will turn 27 on February 25) is now established at Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City after leaving PSG in September 2025. However, during his time in France, he played for two full seasons alongside the current Inter Miami captain (2021-2023).
In a chat with the English club’s official channel, Donnarumma was candid in recalling his bond with Lionel and revealed that what surprised him most about the Argentine was not only his goals, trophies, or feats with the ball, but his personality:
“It was fantastic. I think he’s one of the best in the history of football,” he began. “What surprised me was what an amazing person he is, aside from the footballer. He’s the best of all. He’s a truly fantastic person, a very great man, and playing with him was very important, something I’ll cherish amongst the best memories of my life,” he added.
Today, neither of them are at PSG. Donnarumma joined the Parisian club in 2021 from AC Milan, defending the club’s goal for four seasons, but in 2025, after winning the Champions League that year, he decided to join Manchester City in the Premier League. He signed a five-year contract that ties him to the English team until June 2030.
Meanwhile, Manchester City is on an incredible run: seven games without defeat (six wins and one draw) and four consecutive victories. Now, it is preparing to face Newcastle on Saturday, February 21, at the Etihad Stadium.
Lionel Messi, for his part, left PSG much earlier than Gianluigi, in June 2023, and joined Inter Miami in the MLS in the United States. He recently extended his contract with the American club until the end of the 2028 season and is preparing to kick off a new season, where he will travel to the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on February 21 to face Heung-Min Son’s LAFC.
Although he was seen training after suffering a muscle strain in his left hamstring, his presence has not been officially confirmed.
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