Video: Messi’s arrival changed PSG’s style — Hakimi

Abdullateef Fowewe

Paris Saint-Germain right-back Achraf Hakimi has opened up about the difficulties he faced after Lionel Messi’s arrival at the club in 2021, saying the Argentine’s signing altered the team’s project and playing style in a way that limited his attacking role and left him feeling diminished.

Speaking on The Bridge podcast in hosted by Real Madrid midfielder Aurélien Tchouaméni and featuring Kylian Mbappé, Hakimi reflected on his challenging first season in Paris.

“When Messi arrived, the project of PSG changed. The style of play of the team changed. We played in a different way and, the truth is, I didn’t enjoy it,” Hakimi said.

He explained that he had joined from Inter Milan after a spell at Borussia Dortmund as an attack-minded full-back who thrived on overlapping runs, scoring goals and feeling central to the team’s play.

He was unaware Messi would also be arriving that summer.

“With him there, I couldn’t attack anymore. I had to stay back. I felt like a small player.

“I wasn’t doing the things I like, like attacking, being important and all that,” Hakimi added.

The Moroccan international contrasted the situation with his role for the national team, “In the national team, I am an important player.”

He described the period as mentally tough and noted the criticism he received from supporters who questioned why his performances differed so markedly between club and country.

Hakimi and Messi both joined PSG in the summer of 2021, Hakimi from Inter Milan for around €60-70 million and Messi on a free transfer after leaving Barcelona.

They shared the dressing room for two seasons (2021–2023), during which PSG won two Ligue 1 titles and a French Super Cup.

The much-hyped attacking trio of Messi, Neymar and Mbappé generated huge expectations but never delivered a Champions League title, with the team exiting in the round of 16 in both of Messi’s seasons.

Since Messi’s departure for Inter Miami in 2023, Hakimi has established himself as one of PSG’s most consistent and influential performers, contributing significantly as the club has continued to dominate domestically and push further in Europe.