Kylian Mbappe believes that Lionel Messi was not given the respect he deserved during his two-year stint at PSG.

The Argentinian left Barcelona for the Ligue 1 giants, and spent two seasons in Paris, before leaving as a free agent in 2023, and joining Inter Miami in MLS.

The record eight-time Ballon d’Or winner landed in the French capital with the aim of bringing the Champions League trophy to the French capital, but it did not materialise.

Mbappe told Amazon Prime Sport (via Goal): ‘Messi deserves all the respect and actually in France, he didn’t receive the respect he deserved.’

Kylian Mbappe believes Lionel Messi ‘didn’t get the respect he deserved’ while he was at PSG

Messi won two league titles in two years in Paris, before joining MLS side Inter Miami

While they won the French league titles in 2022 and 2023, PSG were haunted by back-to-back round-of-16 exits in the Champions League.

Mbappe is now free to talk to overseas clubs, with the 25-year-old’s PSG contract running out this summer. 

It was previously reported that the French World Cup winner from 2018 would be open to joining Liverpool in the summer.   

Mbappe is expected to sign for Real Madrid, but would also approve of a move to Liverpool

Real Madrid remain front-runners to nab Mbappe in the summer, after a long period of speculation linking him with the Bernabeu, but the transfer saga has taken another twist. 

His mother Fayza Lamari became his agent again, and is expected to play a central role in deciding the French star’s future as he enters the final six months of his Paris Saint-Germain contract.