Once again, Lionel Messi and PSG have left the UEFA Champions League far away from the instances fans wanted to see them in, and with a new elimination, the naysayers stepped up one more time to question his legacy in the continental competition with some harsh words...and some even harder facts.
The Argentine ace, who only had one shot on goal during the entire tie against Bayern, failed to make a difference for PSG, and fans hare seriously considering if this should be his final game with Les Parisiens in the continental competition.
To make matters worse, the footballer seems to have had a negative influence in the team's general performances, as PSG have certainly not thrived in this tournament since his arrival.
PSG before Messi
— CristianoXtra (@CristianoXtra_) March 8, 2023
Final
Semi final
PSG after Messi
Round of 16
Round of 16
The influence is unreal. pic.twitter.com/j5I1VHDDOw
The player's legacy in the tournament is getting seriously damaged by his stay with the French giants, since he has not even come close to lifting the continental title ever since he left Barcelona.
Messi never failed to reach the Champions League quarterfinals in consecutive seasons with Barcelona.
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) March 8, 2023
He and PSG haven't reached a UCL quarterfinal since he joined the club pic.twitter.com/mGfTTaQMiS
Since Messi's last UCL win, things have not been easy. Fans are not forgetting some of his toughest losses, which have all taken place coincidentally in the continental tournament.
Lionel Messi's Champions League Honours in past 6 years:
— Ā (@ProudFede) March 8, 2023
2017: Lost 3-0 vs Juventus
2018: Blew a 4-1 lead vs Roma
2019: Blew a 3-0 lead vs Liverpool
2020: Lost 8-2 vs Bayern
2021: Lost 5-2 vs PSG
2022: Blew a 2-0 lead vs Real Madrid
2023: Lost 3-0 vs Bayern Munich
Best player… https://t.co/7cVV0NGiww pic.twitter.com/bAtCBAQJQg
And while some think this is not entirely Messi's fault, the fact that another footballer came close to leading PSG in their comeback attempts has not been ignored.
Mbappe-Messi on the pitch and PSG's best player was a 36-year old Ramos. Real Madrid DNA. pic.twitter.com/Wwr5LAxLkB
— M•A•J (@Ultra_Suristic) March 8, 2023
After this embarrassing elimination to Bayern, there will be a big question surrounding Les Parisiens' attack.
Have we seen the end of Messi, Mbappé and Neymar in the Champions League for PSG? pic.twitter.com/SQblPVGtxx
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) March 8, 2023