Soccer legend Lionel Messi completed his transfer from FC Barcelona to French giants Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) Tuesday, in an initial two-year deal that is expected to net him approximately $41 million per year.
Barcelona’s all-time leading goalscorer with 672 goals, left his boyhood club with whom he has spent 20 seasons in a tearful farewell. He was strongly linked with PSG from the moment it became clear that he and the Catalonian team could not come to a contract agreement.
There had been some speculation overnight that Barcelona President Joan Laporta – who has been heavily criticized for allowing the club’s cash cow and most successful ever player to leave – had thrown Messi a 90th-minute contract offer. And it seems the reports that this was a likely PR stunt to assuage disgruntled fans proved correct.
Messi will team up with Brazilian former Barca teammate Neymar Jr. and will join French star Kylian Mbappe, in one of the most fearsome forward lines ever assembled.
While the initial contract runs until June 2024, by which time the Argentine will be 36, there is an option for a further year. Additionally, the deal is subject to Messi passing a medical test.
