The departure of the Argentine star from Futbol Club Barcelona was news that caused the international commotion, but obviously a star like Lionel Messi was not going to be without a team for long.
At the beginning of August, Barcelona announced that it would not renew the contract with Messi due to "economic and structural obstacles." For the footballer, it was very painful to have to leave this club in which he was formed from the lower division and in which he rose to achieve the maximum triumphs. The Messi era at Barcelona is over, but a new chapter in football history is about to begin.
Obviously after, with tears in his eyes, Messi said goodbye to Barça, they started calling him from other clubs interested in signing him. Now it was confirmed that "La Pulga" has just closed an agreement with Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) to play for two years.
The contract was more than juicy for Messi, since the salary he will receive in his new team is 34,617,000 dollars per year, totally free of taxes. The player had even offered to cut half his salary to stay at Barça, but now PSG offered him something much better. The announcement was made through a video on PSG's official Twitter account, which was a kind of "market update."
The video shows the shield of the Argentine flag, a matera and six golden balls in front of the Eiffel Tower, as a reference to Messi's Argentine origin and the recognition he has achieved as a footballer. As part of the agreement reached with PSG, Messi traveled to Paris to undergo a rigorous medical examination and his arrival in the French capital sparked excitement among his fans.
The Argentine landed at Le Bourget aerodrome this Tuesday, August 10, and leaned out of a window to greet the fans wearing a T-shirt with the phrase "Here is Paris." The fans that were waiting for him responded by chanting his name.
It is still difficult for Messi and his fans to accept that he will no longer be in Barcelona, the team in which he played 778 first division games, had a total of 672 goals, and won 35 titles, including 10 in the League and four Champions League. League. But it is time to turn the page.
When the club told me, I was paralyzed. This is all like a bucket of cold water has been poured on me, and we are still accepting it. When I get home, I'm sure it will be even worse. But I will be surrounded by my loved ones, and I will continue to play soccer, and when I do, I am sure it will be a little easier.
- Lionel Messi
In addition, at Barcelona, they are already "closing the cycle" with Messi. At the Camp Nou Stadium, in Spain, they are removing the image of Lionel from its façade, and although it is a hard blow for the fans, the footballer's smile upon arriving in Paris gives us hope that this will be the beginning of a new era in football.
The official signing of his contract is expected to be broadcast at a press conference next Wednesday, August 11. From then on, "La Pulga" will be sharing training sessions and a jersey with other football idols such as Kylian Mbappé, Icardi, Neymar, and Sergio Ramos. No one doubts that this team will be an unstoppable scoring machine.
