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From Football Star to Shop Assistant: Mathieu's Journey

2/28/2026

27 4 Full Breakdown

Summary

Story summary

Jérémy Mathieu, Lionel Messi's former teammate, now works as a shop assistant at Intersport in France after retiring in 2020 due to a knee injury.
Mathieu, 42, has faced depression and a lawsuit.
He played for Sochaux, Toulouse, Valencia, and Barcelona, winning multiple titles.
He joked about his free-kick skills against Messi, but acknowledged Messi's greatness.
His move into retail followed a period of inactivity to seek social interaction.

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Story summary

Jérémy Mathieu, Lionel Messi's former teammate, now works as a shop assistant at Intersport in France after retiring in 2020 due to a knee injury.
Mathieu, 42, has faced depression and a lawsuit.
He played for Sochaux, Toulouse, Valencia, and Barcelona, winning multiple titles.
He joked about his free-kick skills against Messi, but acknowledged Messi's greatness.
His move into retail followed a period of inactivity to seek social interaction.