Lionel Messi‘s two years at PSG weren’t the most successful of his career – but what has become of his team-mates from the legend’s final club appearance in 2023?
Having featured 778 times for Barcelona, Messi made the surprise switch to Paris in August 2021 but ultimately failed to gel with Neymar, Kylian Mbappe and other stars.
Here’s the line-up from that 3-2 defeat to Clermont in June 2023 and what they are up to now.
GK: Gianluigi Donnarumma
Donnaruma remains at PSG having joined from AC Milan back in 2021 and has become one of the best keepers in the world, forming a crucial part of PSG’s Champions League win in 2025.
But there is now talk that the 26-year-old may leave the Parc de Princes this summer, with PSG reportedly looking to get rid.
Manchester United and Inter Milan are interested, but Donnarumma said his “priority” is to stay in the French capital.
CB: Danilo Pereira
Danilo stayed just one more year at PSG before leaving for Saudi Arabia and Al-Ittihad.
The Portuguese centre-back has featured 29 times for his new club and won the Saudi Cup in May 2025, with Karim Benzema scoring a brace in a 3-1 win.
CB: Sergio Ramos
Enemies turned friends; Messi had faced Ramos 44 times, the most of any opponent, before the two put on the same shirt.
Joining the same summer as Messi, the 3-2 defeat to Clermont was also Ramos’ last game for PSG before he moved back to Spain to boyhood club Sevilla.
Ramos, who won four Champions League titles in his career, then switched to Monterrey.
He scored in their Club World Cup draw with Inter Milan and helped the Mexican club escape their group ahead of River Plate.
CB: El Chadaille Bitshiabu
Another player departing alongside Messi in the summer of 2023 was Bitshiabu.
Having come through the PSG academy, the centre back played just 14 league games in two years for the club and moved to RB Leipzig in search of regular game time.
In Germany, he has played 34 times and is still only 20 years of age. Plenty of time for him to come good.
RWB: Warren Zaire-Emery
The teenager is one of the many players to have flourished under Luis Enrique having broken into the PSG first team in 2022.
Zaire-Emery came through the PSG academy and has become a mainstay in the team since then.
The midfielder made 29 appearances in Ligue 1 last year while playing 13 times in PSG’s successful Champions League run.
CM: Vitinha
Since featuring in Messi’s last PSG game, Vitinha has become one of not just the best players at the club but in the world.
Aged 25, he enjoyed his best season last year and was a crucial cog in Luis Enrique’s all-conquering machine.
This summer, he added international success to his club achievements after winning the Nations League with Portugal.
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CM: Marco Verratti
During his time in Paris, Verratti was one of the most highly-rated midfielders in Europe. However, since moving to Qatar in 2023, it’s safe to say that his profile within the game has diminished.
Since signing for Al-Arabi, Verratti hasn’t made an international appearance and he’s only managed a handful of games at club level too.
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LWB: Achraf Hakimi
Having cost €68million in 2021, Hakimi has proven to be money well spent as he has become one of the best full-backs in the world.
The Morocco international was instrumental to PSG’s Champions League success in 2025, scoring in the quarter-final, semi-final and final as well as being excellent defensively.
CAM: Lionel Messi
If a move to PSG was a shock, Messi retiring to the MLS was more expected.
With an eye-watering deal that earns him $20.45 million a year, Messi joined David Beckham’s Inter Miami and has scored 50 goals in his 62 games for the club.
However, it has not been an unprecedented success with the Florida side.
In his first year, they finished 27th overall in MLS but did improve to first in 2024. However, they were eliminated by Atlanta in the playoffs.
So far this campaign, they are sixth but have played three games fewer than their Eastern Conference rivals.
ST: Hugo Ekitike
After his time at PSG came to an end in 2024, Ekitike first moved on loan to Eintracht Frankfurt in February before joining permanently in the summer.
While in Germany, Ekitike has emerged as one of the top young strikers in the world and this summer is on the wishlist of many clubs.
Liverpool, Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal have all been linked with the 23-year-old as a departure from Enitract seems imminent.
ST: Kylian Mbappe
The face of PSG finally left the club in 2024 having spent many years before that flirting with Real Madrid.
In Spain, the brilliant forward hit the ground running with 31 goals in 34 games, the most by a Real Madrid player in their debut season, but the club came up short when it came to trophies.
Still, you’d have thought Mbappe will get his hands on silverware sooner rather than later.