Former Barcelona and AC Milan forward, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, has lashed out at Inter Miami, describing the MLS side as a “circus full of statues” in a blistering critique following their 4–0 Club World Cup loss to Paris Saint-Germain.
Reacting to the defeat, Ibrahimovic a former teammate of Lionel Messi at Barcelona — expressed disappointment with Messi’s performance and the overall quality of the Miami squad, which includes veteran stars like Luis Suárez, Sergio Busquets, and Jordi Alba.
“This isn’t the Messi I know,” Ibrahimovic said. “If you put him in a proper team, you’d see the real lion. Right now, he’s surrounded by players who move like they’re carrying bags of cement.”
The Swedish striker argued that Messi, despite his exceptional talent and love for the game, is unable to thrive in an environment lacking tactical discipline and quality support.
“There are no coaches, no stars, no players who understand off-the-ball movement. Messi plays alone not because he wants to but because this isn’t a real team,” he added.
Ibrahimovic further claimed that Messi has been reduced to a “big ghost playing in a circus,” unable to showcase his full potential in a team that doesn’t match his pedigree as an eight-time Ballon d’Or winner.
Inter Miami, coached by Gerardo Martino, were dismantled in the first half of their Club World Cup round-of-16 clash with PSG, conceding four goals before the break. The result has drawn criticism and raised questions about the team’s competitiveness on the global stage.
