Zlatan Ibrahimovic has never been one to mince words, and his latest comments about Lionel Messi and Inter Miami have set off fresh debate in the football world.
Following Inter Miami‘s painful 4-0 exit at the hands of Paris Saint-Germain in the Club World Cup last 16, the former AC Milan and Barcelona striker weighed in on why the MLS side could not compete, even with Lionel Messi in the line-up.
Ibrahimovic, who spent two seasons alongside Messi at Barcelona, insists that the Argentine superstar cannot be expected to deliver his trademark brilliance surrounded by what he calls a lack of real football talent.
“Messi only plays because he loves the game, because he can still do what 99 percent of players can’t,” Ibrahimovic said.
“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!”
Inter Miami have made headlines with their roster full of well-known European veterans.
The club has brought in big names such as Luis Suarez, Sergio Busquets, and Jordi Alba to build around Messi, but Ibrahimovic is unimpressed by the results.
He describes the team as a “circus” where even the presence of Messi cannot disguise what he sees as a lack of cohesion and top-level ability.
“He’s surrounded by statues,” Ibrahimovic said, making it clear he sees little hope for Miami‘s success unless something changes.
The Swede’s critical view of the MLS is nothing new. He has often dismissed the league as a haven for aging stars, rather than a destination for top talent still in their prime.
Now, after Inter Miami‘s latest setback, he says the situation only strengthens that perception.
According to Ibrahimovic, even players with illustrious careers in Europe are not making the impact that Miami fans might have hoped for.
Messi’s legacy under scrutiny
Despite the harsh criticism aimed at the team, Ibrahimovic did not completely spare Messi.
He went as far as to describe the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner as “a big ghost who plays in a circus,” suggesting that Messi has struggled to reach his full potential since arriving in Miami.
The implication is that Messi‘s brilliance is being overshadowed-or even wasted-by the lack of quality around him.
Ibrahimovic‘s remarks come at a time when speculation about Messi‘s future is only growing louder.
With the 2026 World Cup now firmly on the horizon, some are questioning whether Miami and MLS can give Messi the competitive environment he needs to stay sharp for Argentina’s title defense.
There is already talk of a possible loan move to Europe to maintain his edge ahead of the tournament.
For now, Inter Miami face the difficult task of regrouping after another disappointment on the international stage.
The club’s experiment of building around aging stars has come under the spotlight, with critics suggesting that the formula may be flawed.
Ibrahimovic‘s comments have added a powerful new voice to the conversation and intensified the focus on how long Messi will remain content in American soccer.
As the dust settles on Inter Miami‘s Club World Cup campaign, the debate about the team’s direction, and Messi’s next move, looks set to continue.
With Ibrahimovic‘s blunt assessment still echoing, the pressure is mounting for both Miami and their Argentine talisman to prove that there is more to this project than just star names and marketing headlines.
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