Vitinha called out Lionel Messi by name after being named Player of the Match in the 4-3 penalty shootout victory over Arsenal in Budapest.
The Portuguese midfielder, 26, was the dominant figure in PSG's midfield across the 120 minutes, particularly in the second half as the French champions recovered from Kai Havertz's sixth-minute opener for Arsenal.
UEFA's Technical Observer Group confirmed his award, noting that he "took charge in midfield — particularly in the second half — driving his team forward and setting the tempo."
Speaking to TNT Sports after the final whistle, Vitinha turned his comments to Messi, the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner who played for PSG between 2021 and 2023 before leaving for Inter Miami.
"When he left Paris he said we would never win a Champions League. But today we have won two in a row. I hope he's watching."
He then offered a more measured addition.
"Two Champions Leagues in two years is incredible and says a great deal about this team's growth. We have improved enormously and we believe very strongly in what we are doing and building here.
"Obviously we respect Messi for everything he has done in world football. But on the pitch, we wanted to show people who doubted us that they were wrong — and that is exactly what we are doing."
The claim that Messi made such a statement when departing PSG has circulated since the club's first European title in 2025, and Vitinha has now referenced it twice. Messi has not publicly commented on it.
The animosity between Vitinha and Messi dates to the 2022-23 season at PSG, during which training ground tension between the two players was widely reported in the French media. Messi was said to have openly criticised Vitinha's quality during that period. Since Messi's departure alongside Neymar and Kylian Mbappé, Vitinha has become the heartbeat of Luis Enrique's system — and the clearest symbol of how fundamentally the club has changed.
PSG won the 2025 Champions League final 5-0 against Internazionale in Munich. They now stand alongside Real Madrid as the only club to retain the title in the competition's modern era, following Los Blancos' three consecutive wins between 2016 and 2018.
Arsenal's defeat means Mikel Arteta's Premier League-winning side end the season without the European honour they sought. For Vitinha, this summer's World Cup with Portugal is next — and it is hard to imagine he will approach it without the same conviction he showed on the pitch in Budapest.