Star footballer Lionel Messi is ready to leave the French club Paris Saint-Germain after playing the final match against Clermont on Saturday. “After two seasons in the capital, Leo Messi’s adventure with Paris Saint-Germain will come to a conclusion at the end of the 2022-23 season,” the French Ligue 1 club said on social media.
According to the club, Messi will play some role in the Ligue 1 match to be held at the Parc des Princes, marking the end of his two-year spell at PSG. Rumors have been swirling about Messi’s departure from PSG and reports have suggested the World Cup winner could move to Saudi Arabia to pursue a new challenge.
The Argentine was signed from Barcelona two seasons ago to help PSG win an elusive Champions League, but he has failed in that aim. The French club were beaten by Real Madrid in the last 16 of the Champions League last season and suffered the same fate at the hands of Bayern Munich this year.
Messi, who has won the Ballon d’Or seven times, earns an estimated annual salary of 30 million euros ($32.1 million) after tax at Qatar-backed PSG. He led Argentina to victory over France in the World Cup final in Qatar in December.
But after pouring his efforts into that long-awaited victory for his country, he was unable to lead PSG past Bayern in the Champions League. Despite scoring 32 goals in 74 games for PSG before Saturday’s final, Messi was jeered by some supporters at the Parc des Princes.
His relationship with the club worsened earlier this season when he skipped training for an unauthorized trip to Saudi Arabia to fulfill his commitments as the Gulf state’s tourism ambassador. A one-week suspension followed, and after that Messi had no chance of signing a new contract in Paris.
Barcelona, the club where he played for most of his career, would love to have him back but the prospect has been fading in recent weeks.
Rather, Saudi Arabia may be his next destination.
A source with knowledge of the Saudi talks said last month that playing in the Saudi Arabian league was a “done deal” for him, although Messi’s father Jorge denied at the time that his son had decided his next destination. Inter Miami has also reportedly offered him to Major League Soccer.
