Lionel Messi to leave Paris Saint-Germain after Ligue 1 season finale against Clermont, PSG officially confirm
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Updated 03/06/2023 at 17:44 GMT
Lionel Messi is officially leaving PSG. In a short statement on Saturday afternoon, the French champions officially confirmed what had been widely reported, that Messi will opt against a new contract in the French capital and instead seek out a new club. That new club may be his old one with rumours strongly linking Messi to a return to Barcelona this summer.
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Lionel Messi is officially leaving Paris Saint-Germain. The French champions confirmed the rumours in a statement on Saturday afternoon, ahead of Sunday's Ligue 1 finale against Clermont.
Messi, who joined the club on a free transfer from Barcelona in the summer of 2021, will once again become a free agent when his contract expires next month.
The Argentinian icon gave a short statement: "I would like to thank the club, the city of Paris and its people for these two years. I wish you all the best for the future."
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PSG chairman Nasser Al-Khelaifi added his own thoughts in glowing terms: "I would like to thank Leo Messi for his two seasons in Paris. To see a seven-time Ballon d’Or winner in the Rouge & Bleu and at Parc des Princes, winning back-to-back Ligue 1 titles and inspiring our younger players has been a pleasure. His contribution to Paris Saint-Germain and Ligue 1 cannot be understated and we wish Leo and his family all the best for the future."
In his two years at the club, Messi helped the club to win consecutive Ligue 1 titles as well as the 2022 Trophee des Champions. After a slow start in statistical terms, Messi managed 32 goals and 34 assists in 74 total appearances for the club. He was awarded a record seventh Ballon d'Or in 2021.
He also led Argentina to World Cup glory in Qatar last December. Last month, Messi passed long-time rival Cristiano Ronaldo to become the all-time leading scorer in Europe's top five leagues.
Messi's exit means that he will miss a chance to revive that rivalry given that PSG's next scheduled match is a friendly against Ronaldo's Al-Nassr at the end of July.
According to reporting by The Athletic, Messi was earning in the region of £60M per year in Paris, inclusive of bonuses and other factors.
It was reported in December that a verbal agreement over a new deal had been reached between the Argentinian icon and the French giants but if those reports were accurate, an official contract never materialised.
The former Barcelona star clashed with the club over a recent trip to Saudi Arabia, and also had several run-ins with manager Christophe Galtier.
Despite the signing of Messi, PSG were still unable to achieve their long-stated goal of winning the UEFA Champions League and now face another rebuilding summer. In addition to Messi's departure, there are significant rumours around the future of fellow star Neymar, while Galtier is also widely expected to leave.
Messi's next stop could be a return to Barcelona with those rumours having begun shortly after his emotional departure from the Catalan capital in 2021. He has also been rumoured as the next high-profile target for the Saudi Pro League and is a long-term target for MLS. A move to boyhood club Newell’s Old Boys is another possibility, with Messi always having reportedly wanted to do so at some point before retirement.
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