Hakimi Felt Like a Sub When Messi Landed at PSG – Mbappé's Jaw-Dropping Training Tale Says Otherwise

Picture this: you're Achraf Hakimi, the Moroccan rocket of a right-back, tearing up Ligue 1 with your blistering pace and pinpoint crosses. Then Lionel Messi strolls into Paris Saint-Germain on a free, and suddenly your wing's feeling a bit crowded. Hakimi's spilled the beans on a podcast, admitting the Argentine's arrival turned him into what felt like a junior squad player.

The €68m Moroccan joined PSG in summer 2021, rubbing shoulders with the Messi-Neymar-Mbappé dream team. But as Hakimi told The Bridge podcast, the shift in tactics under Mauricio Pochettino killed his joy. 'We changed style completely,' he said. 'I wasn't attacking, wasn't feeling key. I felt minor, like with the national team I'm a star, but here? Nah.'

Critics piled on too, wondering why his Morocco magic vanished in Paris. Mentally tough, he admitted, but it explained the dip.

From Wing Wizard to Wingman: The Tactical Shift

Messi's magic lit up attacks, sure, but it sidelined Hakimi's overlapping runs. That star trio looked unbeatable on paper – Messi, Neymar, Kylian Mbappé – yet PSG flopped in Europe. Balance was out the window, with Pochettino's side lacking grit.

Fast-forward to Luis Enrique taking charge. Messi and Neymar shipped out, and boom – PSG nailed the Champions League in 2024-25. Hakimi flourished, back to bombing forward with that silky finishing. 'Enrique got the mix right,' sources close to the club note. No more feeling like the new kid.

Hakimi and Messi arrived together that 2021 window, but styles clashed. PSG chased Ligue 1 gongs, yet the continent stayed elusive till the rebuild.

Mbappé's Messi Masterclass: Ten Shots, Nine Goals

Flip the script, and here's Kylian Mbappé, now tearing it up at Real Madrid, singing Messi's praises. On the same The Bridge pod, the Frenchman called him 'ridiculous'. 'Does everything right,' Mbappé gushed.

He dropped a belter of a story from PSG training. End of session, Mbappé and Ney, kings of the world, take 10 shots – bag six or seven. Messi? Casually slots nine out of 10, like he's passing into an empty net. Tired, nonchalant, just humiliating the duo.

Mbappé laughed it off: 'I turn to the keeper – "Mate, you get it?"' Even now at the Bernabéu with Vinicius Junior, Jude Bellingham, it's Messi who sticks out. The trio nabbed two Ligue 1 titles, but no Champions League glory till post-Mbappé.

World Cup Showdown Brewing? PSG's Legacy Lesson

Messi's off to Inter Miami in MLS post-2023, Mbappé's Madrid-bound. But 2026 World Cup? France vs Argentina rematch in the final? Qatar 2022 was epic – could be round two. FIFA rankings fancy Deschamps' lads over Scaloni's champs.

Hakimi's honesty highlights PSG's star trap: too much talent, not enough team. Enrique fixed it, proving balance beats brilliance alone. Funny how Messi humbled everyone – even making a speed demon like Hakimi feel slow.

For Hakimi, it was a rough patch, but he's shone since. Mbappé? Still in awe. Football's full of these tales – grab a pint, chew it over. Who's next to spill on the PSG circus?

(Drawing from reports on Goal.com and SI Soccer)