Following the French champions’ decision to suspend the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner for an unauthorized trip to Saudi Arabia, Paris Saint-Germain’s relationship with Lionel Messi is set to end after two underwhelming years.
When Messi arrived in Paris from Barcelona in August 2021, he was greeted as a hero by passionate fans and was expected to deliver PSG’s elusive Champions League triumph.
It hasn’t worked out, and some of those fans have recently turned against a player who they see as a symbol of everything the club has done wrong in focusing on superstar signings while failing to build a truly competitive team.
After appearing to have secured Messi’s commitment for another season, the Qatar-owned club said a month ago that the star was now “much more likely” to leave at the conclusion of the season when his contract ends.
The events of this week are undoubtedly the last straw. Messi, who turns 36 in June, featured in PSG’s drab 3-1 home loss to Lorient in Ligue 1 on Sunday.
He then traveled to Saudi Arabia to fulfill contractual obligations with the country’s tourist office. As a result, Messi missed a Monday training session scheduled following the weekend defeat.
Despite Messi’s prominence as one of the sport’s greats, PSG acted quickly to penalize him. He has been punished despite the fact that PSG still needs points to retain the French title with five games remaining this season.
“Messi’s visit to Saudi was packed with exciting activities, with something for everyone in the family,” it said. Meanwhile, his teammates were back on the training ground in Paris after suffering a sixth defeat in 17 Ligue 1 matches in 2023.
