Lionel Messi wants to parade World Cup around PSG stadium but club is reluctant
Lionel Messi is keen to show off the World Cup trophy around the Paris Saint-Germain stadium – but the club are worried about the backlash the gesture would receive, according to reports.
The superstar forward captained Argentina to global glory on Sunday, scoring twice and again in the penalty shoot-out as the South American side beat France 4-2 on penalties after the match ended in a thrilling 3-3 draw.
And as reported by Goal, 35-year-old Messi wants to parade the famous gold trophy at the Parc des Princes, but club chiefs are reluctant given the reaction it could provoke.
Had France beaten any other opponents than France in Qatar tournament showpiece, it is unlikely PSG would have had an issue with Messi enjoying the adulation of the Parisian faithful.
But given the testy atmosphere of the final and the manner of the loss – a heartbreaking defeat on penalties – the emotions might still be raw for PSG’s only French player at the tournament – Kylian Mbappe.
Mbappe – potentially the biggest name at the French giants and a rival to Messi as the greatest footballer of his generation – was left devastated after the final, despite winning the competition’s Golden Boot after a magnificent hat-trick.
It could be an awkward reunion in the dressing room, especially after Messi’s international team-mate Emiliano Martinez mocked the 24-year-old by asking for a ‘moment of silence’ for him in the dressing room and then held up a baby doll with his opponent’s face on it while next to Messi in their victory parade in Buenos Aires.
So PSG are wary of inflaming any tension between their star men, as well as upsetting the predominantly French crowd, with the country left bitter after the final.
Christophe Galtier’s side return to post-World Cup action on December 28 when they host Strasbourg. They are five points clear of Lens at the top of the Ligue 1 table.
