Paris Saint-Germain have tonight announced that Lionel Messi will leave the club this summer on the expiry of his contract, after two seasons in the French capital. As a result, tonight’s final match of the league season against Clermont will be the Argentine’s farewell from the Parc des Princes faithful, as is the case with Sergio Ramos as well.
The seven-time Ballon d’Or winner’s future after his time in France remains unclear, amid reports of a lucrative contract offer from Saudi Arabia, as well as a potential joint bid from Inter Miami and his former club Barcelona.
The 35-year-old leaves PSG as a double Ligue 1 title winner, having recovered from a middling first season to return to his fleet-footed best this campaign. His 32 goal contributions in 31 league appearances – 16 goals and 16 assists – place him among the most prolific scorers in France, and the outright-best creator. All of this, having lifted the World Cup with Argentine in the middle of the season. Nevertheless, consecutive early exits in the Champions League will also have left a sour taste – and appear as something of a missed opportunity for the French champions, having lined up Kylian Mbappé and Neymar alongside Messi.
GFFN | Raphaël Jucobin
