Lionel Messi reportedly made a harsh comment about his former Paris Saint-Germain teammate Vitinha, which led to the midfielder's desire to leave the club.

In early 2023, Messi and Vitinha had an exchange of words during training, during which Messi directed a pointed criticism towards his fellow teammate.

It took the persuasion of his compatriot Danilo Pereira to convince the Portuguese midfielder to remain with the team.

According to a report from French newspaper L'Equipe, Messi told Vitinha: "Not only are you bad, but you’re also hurting me."

Vitinha had a challenging debut season in Paris after his transfer from Porto in July 2022. Despite being a regular starter under Christophe Galtier, he faced strong criticism from both fans and, apparently, teammates due to his inconsistent performances.

Vitinha, who delivered a memorable performance against Dortmund in the Champions League on Tuesday, is scheduled to feature for PSG in their upcoming Ligue 1 match against Marseille this weekend.

Meanwhile, Messi is set to make his return to the Inter Miami first team in their match against Toronto tonight.