Imagine Lionel Messi, getting ready to play with his national team after another grueling yet fruitful season. He’s just come off a legacy-defining World Cup and a Ligue 1 title before shocking the world as he announced his intentions to leave Paris Saint-Germain to join Major League Soccer.
The unhappy marriage between Lionel Messi and PSG is over. After the 3-2 defeat vs. Clermont Foot on Saturday, the Argentine superstar went home, packed his suitcase and said au revoir to the French capital.
The thing is that when Messi exited, thousands of his fans also abandoned the club in a stampede.
When PSG posted its goodbye message to the world champion, their Instagram base was over 71.4 million followers.
One day after, the number was 69 million.
Lionel Messi will play his last game for Paris St Germain against Clermont on Saturday, coach Christophe Galtier said on Thursday as he called on fans to give the Argentine forward a warm send-off at the Parc des Princes.
Messi, who has 21 goals and 20 assists for PSG in all competitions this season, moved to the French capital from Barcelona in 2021 on a two-year contract.
The rumor mill is bursting with the idea that Inter Miami and Barcelona are concocting a special formula to get and share Lionel Messi for the years to come.
But is this true?
There is no news not saying Lionel Messi's future is the 2023 summer transfer window's biggest telenovela. Despite being in the promotional photos of the PSG 2023-24 home jersey, everybody knows the chances of seeing the Argentine star actually wearing that shirt next season are close to none.
PSG goalkeeper Sergio Rico is fighting for his life.
The shot-stopper is in intensive care at a hospital in his native Spain following an unfortunate horse-riding accident over the weekend. According to the doctors, Rico's situation is so very delicate that his wife, Alba Silva, posted a heartbreaking message on Instagram, praying for his recovery.
"Don't leave alone because I swear I can't and I don't know how to live without you. We are waiting for you," Silva wrote.
Paris Saint-Germain fans proved once again why they are the most miserable and spoiled group in all of sports. During PSG’s Ligue 1 game vs. Ajaccio at the Parc des Princes Parisian fans booed Lionel Messi every time the ball was at his feet.
PSG fans booing Messi reminds me of that one spoiled kid who gets upset when their parents buy them a fancy new car but it’s the wrong color.
The loudest of the whistles and jeers came on corner kicks that Messi took. Fans also booed before the game when he was announced in the starting lineup.
PARIS — Lionel Messi will start Paris Saint-Germain's Ligue 1 home game against AC Ajaccio on Saturday after returning to training following a club-imposed suspension, coach Christophe Galtier said on Friday.
"I spoke with him on Tuesday to see what his mindset was and I found him very determined to play... He will start tomorrow," Galtier told a press conference.
Lionel Messi's future is the biggest telenovela coming from the transfer rumor machinery these days, with several sources claiming the Argentine star has secured a gargantuan contract with Saudi side Al-Hilal. I mean, you can go out there on that thing called the internet and you'll be swarmed with "done deal" headlines.
But is it really done?
Lionel Messi is training with Paris Saint-Germain again, the Ligue 1 team said on Monday, after the forward was suspended for making a trip to Saudi Arabia and missing a training session as a result.
French media reported that Messi was suspended for two weeks after an unauthorized trip to Saudi Arabia when he was supposed to train with the squad the day after the Ligue 1 leaders' 3-1 defeat to Lorient last month.
The latest chapter of Lionel Messi’s unauthorized trip to Saudi Arabia came on Friday when he posted a video on his Instagram story of him apologizing to his teammates. The Messi apology video is 37 seconds long in which he claims it was all a misunderstanding.
If you’re out of the loop on events, then here’s a quick timeline.