Lionel Messi Joins PSG

Lionel Messi has officially completed his move to Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) on a two-year deal following his departure from Barcelona.

The 34-year-old has an option of an additional year on his contact.

This comes after Barcelona confirmed that they couldn’t afford to pay his salary due to debts facing almost all the La Liga clubs.

Messi was stunned and distraught when Barcelona’s president, Joan Laporta, said La Liga’s rules on salary limits meant the club had no way to register him.

Born and raised in central Argentina, Lionel Messi relocated to Spain to join Barcelona at age 13. He made his competitive debut aged 17 in October 2004.

During his time with the Catalan giants, he won ten Spanish league titles, as well as six Ballon d’Or honors.

He leaves the club with 672 goals in 778 appearances, a record tally for one club.

Lionel Messi News

Messi will wear the number 30 jersey in Paris. The number 30 jersey is the one Lionel Messi wore when he made his Barcelona debut. The Argentine chose this number despite reports suggesting Neymar had offered to give up the number 10.

The Sun has reported that both Messi’s home and away jerseys sold out in under 20 minutes after they were announced on the club’s official store.

Speaking to CNN, Lionel Messi stressed that both his and his new club’s ambitions are aligned. And that is to win the trophy that has so far eluded PSG and which Messi himself has won four times.

PSG will be hoping that with the signing of the Argentine star the club can go all the way to winning the champions league.

Lionel Messi Net Worth

A contract leak in January 2021 showed Lionel Messi was making much more at FC Barcelona than previously thought.

According to Forbes, the leaked contract showed Messi was able to earn up to $165 million annually in salary and incentives. This is an unmatched figure in team sports.

He launched his own clothing line and opened his first retail outlet, the Messi Store, in 2019 in Barcelona.

Lionel Messi also has a lifelong deal with Adidas.

Here are some interesting stats published by Forbes on Messi’s net worth:

Source of Wealth: Soccer

Salary / Winning: $97 m

Endorsements: $33 m

Lionel Messi could be unveiled to supporters on Saturday, when PSG host Strasbourg. A full house of nearly 48,000 will be allowed in for the first time since the coronavirus pandemic struck 18 months ago.

❤️ #PSGxMESSI 💙

🛒 https://t.co/gbAxUj8yNo pic.twitter.com/6TsVp8YLip

— Paris Saint-Germain (@PSG_English) August 10, 2021

A new 💎 in Paris!

PSGxMESSI ❤️💙 pic.twitter.com/scrp1su9a6

— Paris Saint-Germain (@PSG_English) August 10, 2021