Why Lionel Messi, Neymar, and Kylian Mbappe failed to win UEFA Champions League together: PSG legend Marco Verratti offers bold but realistic six-word explanation
It was one of the most dazzling front threes soccer has ever seen — Lionel Messi, Neymar, and Kylian Mbappe in the same Paris Saint-Germain team. Yet, despite the superstar power, records, and moments of brilliance, the Champions League crown always eluded them. Now, Marco Verratti, one of the club’s most loyal servants and midfield generals, has finally lifted the lid on why PSG’s Galactico project failed to conquer Europe, even with soccer’s biggest icons united under one crest.
In 2024-25, the Parisians finally achieved what had long seemed impossible — a first-ever UEFA Champions League title. Luis Enrique’s team didn’t just win; they dominated, crushing Inter 5-0 in the final to complete a historic domestic and continental treble.
Many observers claimed this triumph came because Mbappe had left for Real Madrid. But Verratti — who watched from afar after moving to Qatar’s Al Duhail — insists that interpretation is “unfair.”
Speaking to the Spanish newspaper Marca, the Italian midfielder said, “It’s unfair to see it that way. With Kylian, we reached the semi-finals and the final, but we didn’t win it. Then there’s Real Madrid, who, with fantastic players, won it many times. Anyway, I don’t think PSG won it because Kylian left. Mbappe has helped the club grow a lot. The year he left, he scored nearly 50 goals, for example.”
Under Enrique, PSG abandoned its obsession with assembling superstar names and instead built a team around balance, youth, and cohesion. Players like Warren Zaïre-Emery and Ousmane Dembele flourished, with the latter eventually lifting the 2025 Ballon d’Or after a 33-goal season.
Verratti’s insight: What PSG lacked with Messi, Neymar, and Mbappe
When asked directly why PSG’s once fearsome trio of Messi, Neymar, and Mbappe couldn’t bring home the Champions League, Verratti offered a revealing and philosophical answer. “That’s what makes football beautiful,” he said.
“It’s not just about buying players and winning. That PSG team was a serious project, and they helped the club grow. Individually, we had many star players, but we lacked something as a team. And that matters a lot in today’s soccer. In big games, star players can make the difference, but not generally.”
“We lacked something as a team”, that was the reason Verratti pointed to — a lack of collective unity and tactical balance. The trio’s brilliance could win matches, but not tournaments built on structure and resilience.
Between 2021 and 2023, PSG’s superstar experiment dazzled but disjointed the team’s defensive and pressing systems. The focus on individual flair often left the side exposed, unable to handle elite European opponents who thrived on discipline and collective effort.