In 2011, when Qatar took control of PSG, a new era began with an ambition never seen before in France. And the Parisian president did not hide it: he could buy whoever he wanted.
Upon his arrival, PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaïfi delivered a speech that astonished the locker room: he claimed that the club now had the means to buy absolutely any player in the world. Yes, even the two stars of the time. Mathieu Bodmer, who was present that day, recounts that he even heard an unreal statement: “I can buy Messi and Ronaldo if I want, and I will make them play together.”
At that time, there was neither financial fair play nor limits, and the Parisian project was not just dreaming; it wanted to overturn everything. The message was not a promise, but a demonstration of power: PSG no longer wanted to admire the stars; it wanted to own them.
The World of Football Changed That Day
Years later, Lionel Messi would actually come to Paris, but Cristiano Ronaldo would never make the move. However, this scene shows how much the club already envisioned itself at the top of the world, ready to rewrite the laws of football.
That day, in that locker room, PSG changed dimensions. Qatar was not announcing a project; it was declaring war on world football.
