Zlatan Ibrahimovic has never been one to hold back his opinions, and his recent comments about Lionel Messi’s team, Inter Miami, have sparked a wave of attention. Following Inter Miami’s crushing 4–0 defeat to PSG in the FIFA Club World Cup Round of 16, Zlatan defended Messi but didn’t mince words about the rest of the squad. He harshly criticized the team’s lack of intensity, saying, “Messi is playing with statues, not teammates.” According to Zlatan, the players around Messi “run as if they’re carrying bags of cement,” pointing to a glaring lack of energy, movement, and tactical support.
Zlatan was clear that Messi himself is not the problem. In fact, he went out of his way to praise the Argentine legend, calling him “a PlayStation on the field”—a player with exceptional skill and vision who can change any game. However, he emphasized that without a strong, cohesive, and competitive team, even a player of Messi’s caliber cannot carry the burden alone. “Messi didn’t lose—Inter Miami did!” he remarked. “If he was in a real team, you’d see the real lion.”
These comments come at a critical moment for Inter Miami, a team that has been heavily invested in since Messi’s arrival but has yet to establish itself on the global stage. Zlatan’s statements serve not just as a critique, but as a wake-up call to the club’s management, coaching staff, and players. For now, it’s clear: while Messi may still be world-class, his supporting cast must rise to the occasion—or risk wasting the presence of one of the game’s greatest players.
