Named Personality of the Year by Portuguese newspaper A Bola, Vitinha has looked back on his difficult first season at Paris Saint-Germain and used the opportunity to shut down long-standing rumors about tense relationships with Lionel Messi and Neymar.
Signed from FC Porto in 2022 for €41.5 million, Vitinha arrived in Paris with high expectations but quickly found himself navigating a complicated environment during the 2022–23 season. In his interview, the 25-year-old midfielder openly acknowledged both his personal struggles and the uneasy atmosphere inside the PSG dressing room at the time.
“We Didn’t Really Feel Like a Team”
Vitinha did not deny that tensions existed within the squad, particularly between PSG’s biggest stars, though he chose to remain cautious with his words.
“A lot happened between Lionel Messi and Neymar, but I’d rather not go into details,” Vitinha said.
Reflecting on that season under then-coach Christophe Galtier, he added:
“During that year, I didn’t feel like we were really a team. Everyone was playing for themselves, we were a bit lost on the pitch. I was still young, I had just arrived. It was complicated. That group of players turned out to be quite difficult to manage.”
Old Rumors About Messi Resurface — and Are Dismissed Again
In 2023, L’Équipe reported alleged strained relations between Vitinha and Messi, including a supposed confrontation during a PSG training session. According to that report, Messi was said to have told the Portuguese midfielder: “Not only are you weak, but you’re hurting me too.”
Vitinha firmly denied those claims at the time — and reiterated that stance once again.
“I don’t usually comment on press articles, but this time I had to. It was completely false,” he said back then.
Since then, relations appear to have fully normalized. The two players were seen embracing after PSG’s match against Inter Miami at the Club World Cup last June.
“I Have Huge Respect for Him”
Vitinha made it clear that there is no lingering issue with either Messi or Neymar.
“I have immense respect for him. He’s one of the greatest players of all time,” Vitinha said of Messi.
“I have absolutely nothing against him — things are settled. And with Neymar as well, everything is fine.”
Now a key figure under Luis Enrique, Vitinha’s comments underline how far PSG have come since that turbulent period — both collectively and individually. What once felt like a fragmented group has since evolved into a cohesive, title-winning machine, with Vitinha at its core.