Zlatan Ibrahimovic Defends Lionel Messi: He Plays With A Statue At Inter Miami

JAKARTA - Zlatan Ibrahimovic defended Lionel Messi after Inter Miami was knocked out of the 2025 Club World Cup and likened his team-mates to statues.

Inter Miami and Messi lost 0-4 to Paris Saint-Germain in the round of 16, Sunday, June 29, 2025.

Ibrahimovic - who played with Messi at Barcelona - was not impressed by Inter Miami, who conceded four goals in the first half against the Champions League winner.

"It wasn't Leo Messi who lost, but Inter Miami. Messi played with statues, not his teammates."

"He was surrounded by players running as if they were carrying cement sacks," said the former Swedish striker.

Ibrahimovic, who played at MLS for LA Galaxy, said supporters could not see Messi's best at the 2025 Club World Cup due to a lack of player quality at Inter Miami.

"This is not the Messi I know. If you put him in a real team, he will go all out."

"No coaches, no stars, even players who understand how to move without a ball. If he is in a real team, any great team, you will see a real lion."

"Messi plays alone because she loves games because she can still do what 99 percent of the players can't. However, this is not the Messi I know," Ibrahimovic said again.

However, eight-time Ballon d'Or winner Messi has focused on positive things.

Inter Miami, who beat FC Porto 2-1 in the group stage, became the first MLS team to ever beat a European club in an official event and the only MLS club to advance to the knockout stages of the tournament.

"It was a game we expected. We tried to do our best and we left a good image at the 2025 Club World Cup level," Messi said after his team's embarrassing defeat to PSG.