Lionel Messi joined Paris Saint Germain on August 10, 2021, after FC Barcelona failed to meet up with the conditions that would have prolonged his stay in Spain. Since he arrived in France, he is yet to kick a ball in a competitive game.
Recall that Lionel Messi spent the last 21 years of his life at FC Barcelona – from the club’s academy to the club’s senior team. Before his relationship with the club hit the brick wall earlier in August, the 34-year-old Argentine football icon helped the Spanish giants to win 35 major titles in 17 years.
Then, he was regarded as an indispensable player at Barcelona due to the amount of productivity he used to bring to the team – from scoring goals to providing assists and controlling the pace of the game through his skills and tactics.
However, his arrival at PSG which was well celebrated is filled with unexplained details which include his unreadiness to make his debut for the French club.
Initially, when Messi accepted to join PSG, he was not expected to stay out of the team beyond a game but he is about to stay out of the team for two games.
Recall that he did not play the league game between PSG and Strasbourg on August 14 which ended 4-2 in favor of PSG.
Reports claimed that he might not be available for the French Ligue 1 game between PSG and Brest which is scheduled to kick off at 20:00 on Friday, August 20, 2021.
Why Messi Hasn’t Played For PSG Yet
Since Lionel Messi joined PSG officially on August 10, the 34-year-old Argentine football icon has been pictured training with the club’s first team.
However, he is expected to stay out of the team in competitive games until towards the end of August which means that he is most likely to play his first game for PSG on August 29 away at Reims.
The suspected reasons why Lionel Messi would have to wait that long before he can play a competitive game is as follows:
- Lionel Messi has not played a competitive game since July 11
The last time Lionel Messi played a competitive game was on July 11, 2021, when he led Argentina to beat Brazil in the final of the Copa America.
After that, he went on a holiday with his family in Miami, United States. He spent about two weeks there before he returned to Barcelona to resume training.
However, when he got to Barcelona, he was told that he could not train with the team since his contract with the club had expired on July 1, 2021.
Hence, Lionel Messi had to travel to Ibiza with his friend, Luis Suarez of Atletico Madrid while he awaits the outcome of FC Barcelona’s effort to offer him a new contract.
To his disappointment, he was not given a new contract due to the financial crisis at the club and had to move to another club for the first time in his career.
Due to all these, Lionel Messi could not participate in any pre-season training ahead of the 2021-2022 season. Hence, he would have to stay off the pitch until he regains his match fitness.
- Messi is trying to put his business and family in good hands with the support of his wife Antonela Roccuzzo
As stated earlier, Lionel Messi joined PSG from FC Barcelona on August 10 for free. The French club offered him a two-year deal. According to reports, the Argentina international earns £960,000-per-week at PSG which makes him the most expensive player in the world.
Before he joined PSG, Messi spent the last 21 years of his football career at FC Barcelona. In those years, he has made huge investments in Spain he needs to settle before he returns fully to the pitch.
First, he would have to settle his family in a new mansion in Paris. After that, he would have to get a school for his children – Thiago, Mateo, and Ciro.
Aside from that, Lionel Messi has a chain of businesses while in Spain which he has to find a way to keep alive while in Paris.
From all indications, his wife, Antonela Roccuzzo would have to help him to manage some of the businesses while he is busy on the pitch.
Lionel Messi’s father Jorge would also help in running some of the chains of business until the Argentina international retires from active football.
Lionel Messi’s Sponsorships and businesses
Aside from Lionel Messi’s private businesses and heavy wages, he has a lifetime deal with Adidas. The 34-year-old football star signed the lifetime deal in 2017 and has been under the payroll of the sportswear-making company since 2006. According to reports, his lifetime deal with Adidas earns him $12 million per year.
Also, Lionel Messi’s deal with Adidas allows him to become the first footballer to release a sub-brand of Adidas boots, the Adidas Messi in 2015.
More so, Messi has sponsorship deals with Pepsi, Dolce & Gabbana, Gatorade, Huawei, Mastercard, and a couple of other international brands.
As part of his private business, Lionel Messi has a clothing line which his management team ‘Leo Messi’ runs in partnership with Ginny Hilfiger, the sister of designer Tommy Hilfiger. Messi launched the clothing line in 2019.
The clothing line birthed the “Messi Store” which is being managed by Lionel Messi’s sister, Maria Sol.
Apart from clothing, Messi is in the business of selling branded wristwatches. The footballer entered into partnership with Jacob & co. in 2016 to launch a Messi-inspired line of high-end watches.
The Lionel Messi theme park
Aside from fashion and sports, Lionel Messi has invested in tourism and leisure. One of the most prominent of his businesses outside fashion and sports is the Lionel Messi theme park.
The construction of the Lionel Messi theme park started in 2017 in China. The park is being managed by Mediapro in partnership with Phoenix Group and Leo Messi Management.
Some of the major features of the park include robotic attractions, virtual and mixed reality spaces, holographic technology, and performing arts events, all related to Messi and his football career.
The park allows visitors to trace through Messi’s career, including some of his greatest victories and most painful losses so far in his career.
The Lionel Messi foundation
Asides from businesses, Lionel Messi does a lot of giving through his Lionel Messi foundation.
Messi got inspired to establish the foundation in 2007 when he visited Boston, Massachusetts. After the visit, the record 6 times Ballon d’Or winner said: “After having visited a hospital one day, I realized the special significance that a public figure has. I understood that seeing a well-known footballer could really help those ill children.”
The work of Lionel Messi’s foundation includes helping children around the world who are battling deadly illnesses. Investing in and promoting the education of child health issues.
Due to how diligent he has worked with the charity organization, Lionel Messi is an ambassador of UNICEF. Under this capacity, the football star has had to visit a series of disaster spots across the world to lift the spirit of children.
Thierry Henry’s thought on Lionel Messi move to PSG
Arsenal’s football legend, Thierry Henry has voiced his concerns over the mass recruitment of superstars by Paris Saint Germain this summer.
Recall that PSG decided to signed Lionel Messi, Gianluigi Donnarumma, Achraf Hakimi, Sergio Ramos, and Georginio Wijnaldum which has kept football fans on their toes in anticipation of what these recruits would bring to the table.
Since these deals were sealed, the argument was that PSG would have the fiercest attacking combination in the world – Messi, Kylian Mbappe, and Neymar.
However, Thierry Henry who has played at FC Barcelona alongside Messi said the availability of such attacking options at PSG does not mean that all is well with the team.
He said: “Balance is the most important thing. In a moment, we always talk about the best players, attacking, advancing. But there has to be a balance.
“We talk about the team in which I played at Barca (with Eto’o and Messi) but people forget we didn’t let in many goals. In general, the teams that don’t let in many goals aren’t far from titles or Champions Leagues.
“When you have superhuman players it’s a bit easier but when I see how Paris are doing at the moment, they are letting in a few too many goals for me. It’s true, they’re missing players but the balance is the most important thing.”
