Lionel Messi will exit Paris Saint Germain after the expiration of his deal in the summer.
PSG boss Christophe Galtier broke the news in a presser on Thursday afternoon that Messi will leave the club after his 2-year stint in France.
The 56-year-old manager said that the Parisians final game of the season against Clermont Foot would be Messi’s last game in the colours of the side.
He said: “Clermont Foot will be Messi’s final game at PSG, I had the privilege of coaching the best player in the history of football. It will be Leo’s last match at the Parc des Princes.”
When did Lionel Messi join Paris Saint Germain?
Lionel Messi joined Paris Saint Germain in August 2021 due to Barcelona’s inability to fund his wage despite being ready to take a significant pay cut.
In his double campaigns with PSG, he lifted the Ligue 1 title on both seasons, however, he couldn’t lead the side to the UEFA Champions League title which they crave for.
His exit from Barcelona came as a shock to many who felt he would see out his career at Barcelona.
Anyway, circumstances led to him leaving the Blaugarana side for France and he has suggested that him exiting Barcelona allowed him to build the leadership attributes he exuded at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
Media outlets in France reported that Lionel Messi could make a return to Barcelona although the Catalan based club would struggle to pay his wages.
The 35-year-old has also been linked with a move to Major League Soccer side Inter Miami and Saudi Arabian club Al Hilal.
Inter Miami are owned by David Beckham and they are said to be offering the Argentine an enticing deal.
For Al Hilal, it was reported that the Saudi side have tabled a staggering deal around the region of £355 million to secure his services.
It’s left to be seen his next destination although his father has stated that no decision would be made until the end of the campaign.
The 7-time Ballon d’Or winner has had an impressive campaign for Paris Saint Germain, though not like his standards during his prime.
Messi has scored 16 goals and provided 16 assists for PSG in the Ligue 1 and he was the one who netted the goal which confirmed their record 11th French top-flight league title in history.
However, that has not kept the former Barcelona man away from issues between him and the PSG hierarchy.
In May, Lionel Messi was suspended for two weeks after he made a trip to Saudi Arabia without the permission of Christophe Galtier or Luis Ocampos.
The Argentine’s absence for a training session after he thought the players would be given a day off following their 1-3 loss to Lorient caused the suspension.
Days later, he posted an apology message on social media saying he was on a trip to Riyadh when players were told their day off had been cancelled.
Lionel Messi said: “I thought we were going to have a day off after the game as always,’ Messi’s intro in the 39-second clip shared via his Instagram story.
“I had this trip organised and I couldn’t cancel it.
Messi also said in the short clip:
“I had already cancelled it before. I apologise to my team-mates and I’m waiting for what the club wants to do with me.”
The 35-year-old has also faced severe critiscisms and boos from PSG fans, including a notable one in May where supporters protested for him to leave the club.
It was felt that the supporters had arrived at the club headquarters to protest against the suspension of the Argentine but based on reports, one chant that was heard during the protest was, “Messi, son of a b****.”
Lionel Messi’s time at Paris Saint Germain has possibly been average but in that period of time, he has managed to win the biggest crown in a player’s career, the FIFA World Cup.
The Argentine made 74 appearances for Paris Saint Germain scoring 32 goals and providing 35 assists.
