Global Courant
The question now is where the Argentinian attacker will play on Saturday after his last game for the French club.
Argentine football great Lionel Messi will leave Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) at the end of the season after two years at the club, according to coach Christophe Galtier.
PSG’s game against Clermont on Saturday will be Messi’s last game at the Parc des Princes, Galter said on Thursday. Messi’s contract expires at the end of June.
The move from Messi, who has scored 21 goals and 20 assists for PSG in all competitions this season, comes after he moved to the French capital from Barcelona on a two-year contract.
The 35-year-old, who led Argentina to a world championship at the World Cup in Qatar in December and also boasts a record seven Ballon d’Or trophies, won the Ligue 1 title in the 2021-22 and 2022-23 seasons with PSG as well as the French Super Cup in July 2022.
“I had the privilege of coaching the best player in football history,” said Galtier. “This will be his last race at the Parc des Princes and I hope he gets a warm welcome.”
PSG recruited Messi in August 2021 with the ambition to finally win the Champions League. The team is still waiting.
Messi’s adventure in France was bittersweet. Despite quite good statistics, he epitomizes the team’s shortcomings in the eyes of many PSG fans who have repeatedly whistled and booed his name in recent weeks.
Last month, French media reported that Messi was suspended for two weeks after an unauthorized trip to Saudi Arabia where he was supposed to train with his team after their 3-1 defeat at home to Lorient in the league.
“This year he was an important part of the team, always available. I don’t think the comments or criticisms are justified,” Galtier said.
“He’s always been there for the team. It’s been a great privilege to be with him all season.”
Messi’s future at PSG has been the subject of much speculation recently, with reports that he had received a formal offer to join Saudi Arabian club Al-Hilal next season.
Messi has a commercial contract with Saudi Arabia to promote tourism in the Middle Eastern country and has been linked with a lucrative move there at the end of the season.
There has also been talk of a return to Barcelona, where he spent most of his career, or to the United States to play in MLS.
Messi arrived at Barcelona at the age of 13 and left after winning 35 titles. He helped the club win the Champions League four times, the Spanish League ten times, the Copa del Rey seven times and the Spanish Super Cup eight times.
Messi is also the team’s all-time top scorer with 672 goals in 778 appearances, and the top scorer in the Spanish League with 474 goals in 520 games.
