Messi's stunning performance against Bolivia sparks criticism from experts about PSG's form

Former Paris Saint-Germain player Lionel Messi played all 90 minutes of Argentina's 6-0 win over Bolivia on Tuesday night. In addition, the 37-year-old continues to show that he is decisive in important games.

Messi scored a hat-trick and two assists against the South American opponents and one pundit wonders why PSG didn't see this version of the Argentine during his two seasons in the French capital.

On Wednesday RMC Sport's Jerome Rothen explained how, in his opinion, Messi betrayed PSG because he saw the best version despite being in the final stages of his career.

“I never thought Messi would be the one to cheat on me like that,” Rothen began his remarks about the former PSG player. “Watching him shine now, like you said, in back-to-back games for Inter Miami – yes, we can safely say that MLS is not at the same level as Europe – but he is out there playing Game after game, be decisive.

“These games may not mean much, but he is they play, he is Score goals and he is Setup aids. And then he does the same thing on the international stage. I knew they won 6-0 (against Bolivia) so of course you think about jumping forward, but you can't because of the goals and assists he did. And how involved he is, how he moves between the lines, what effort he makes.

“When I look at this, and then Remember watching all of his games at the Parc des Princes, all of Paris Saint-Germain's games with Messi, whether they were small games or big Champions League nights – sure, he was decisive at times.

“And yes, the stats during his time at PSG speak for him a little bit… but with players like them you stop looking at stats and focus on what they bring to the team, how they help the younger players, like them play with someone” like Messi, perhaps the greatest player of all time. And yet he struggled through those two years at PSG. The only time he Really It was supposed to be to prepare for the World Cup. We all saw this on the route just before Qatar…

“As a Parisian, I was lucky to see Messi wear the PSG jersey, but what did he really give us? And then when he spoke, he ended up criticizing everyone. Honestly, I feel more than cheated because you can tell he wasn't too old. He wasn't mentally ready yet.

“No, there was simply no desire to accept the situation. Looking back, it's clear that the move to PSG was never going to work out because he didn't really want to be there. So he shouldn't have come. That’s why I’m frustrated with him.”

It is still unclear whether Messi will play in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, but if he continues to play like he did against Bolivia, he can at least come off the bench or be a veteran. A decision will be made over the next year and a half as to whether the player is fit for Argentina's participation, as the reigning champions should qualify for the competition in North America.