#lionel messi contract

[mochisquish]

this is so funny. he was like "I'm going to Miami" and Miami was like ok guess we are signing messi

[garciapimienta]

the fact that for the past three days my mind has been on a loop of "leo is coming back he's coming back this can't be real leo is coming back" 24/7

[fadingtimetravelqueen]

nter Miami: The New Destination for Lionel Messi in Major League Soccer

In a groundbreaking move that has sent shockwaves throughout the soccer world, Lionel Messi, the legendary Argentine forward, has chosen to reject a lucrative contract offer from Saudi Arabia and make a remarkable switch to Major League Soccer(more)

[meazalykov]

she was the golden girl

uswnt x (romantic) aitana bonmatí x (platonic) fridolina rolfo x uswnt!reader

summary: what happened in a world where reader plays in the 2023 World Cup after winning the 2019 World Cup?

warnings: tiny bit of angst and sadness, google translated spanish.

part two (part one here)

I remembered when I stood on the french pitch, surrounded by the deafening cheers of the crowd, sometimes I can’t believe that it happened. Tears welled up in my eyes as I hugged my best friend Mallory, threatening to spill over as a whirlwind of emotions flooded my mind. 

My hands trembled as I clutched the World Cup trophy tightly to my chest, feeling the weight of my team's triumph. The third goal in the world cup was scored by me, the youngest goalscorer in a Women’s World Cup final. The journey to this moment had been grueling, filled with sacrifices, sweat, and endless dedication. But looking back, all the pain and hardship were worth it.

Before the World Cup, the Champions League medal hung proudly around my neck, a testament to the skill and hard work I’ve displayed on the field. At the time, Lyon was the club of my life. I believed that I would’ve never left the french institution, extending my contract as much as I possibly could’ve. The memories of each game, each goal, each victory rushed back to me, overwhelming my senses.

And then there was the Ballon d'Or many months after both competitions, the ultimate recognition of my individual excellence. To be acknowledged as the best, only at the age of 19 years old, was a dream I had hardly dared to entertain. Yet there I was, being the second woman holding the prestigious award in my small hands, my name etched into football history forever as I stood beside Lionel Messi who received the men’s d’or. 

Surrounded by my teammates, coaches, and supporters, I felt a surge of gratitude and humility. This moment wasn't just about me; it was about the collective effort of everyone who had believed in my skills along the way. I will never forget it.

Four years later, It's 2023. I am 23 years old and still impressing the fans around the World. However, the scars of my ACL injury were still fresh, a constant reminder of the hurdles I had overcome to be here after the harsh 2022 year.

Playing for Lyon had once been a dream come true. I’ll never forget that experience. When I signed to Lyon from Portland Thorns at the age of 18, I was overwhelmed in joy. I needed that new challenge, and that challenge earned me the best awards, collectively and individually. But, the fallout from my December 2021 injury had left a bitter taste in my mouth. The club I had once called home had felt more like a distant memory as I felt forced to make the difficult decision to part ways and start a new life in the sunny Spanish city.

Now, I wore the red and blue Barcelona jersey onto the pitch. The transfer left me heartbroken, at first, now I felt a renewed sense of purpose. The road to recovery after my ACL injury in France had been long and arduous, filled with doubts and setbacks. Sometimes, I believed that my prime occurred at the age of 19, instead of the predicted 24-30 years old. Yet here I am, defying the odds once again to represent my country on the world stage in two months.

Sometimes the memories of my victories with Lyon and the United States lingered in the back of my mind, serving as both motivation and a reminder of what was at stake. The Champions League trophy I had lifted with Lyon and the World Cup I had claimed with the United States were testaments to my talent and resilience. But now, I lifted the Champions League trophy with Barcelona. 

After scoring the second goal of the final, with Patricia before me and Fridolina afterwards, the gold hung beautifully around my neck. It was my fourth time I've felt such a high amount of glory, but the happy tears still came as if it were the first. 

A month later, I am on a fourteen hour flight from Los Angeles to Wellington, New Zealand. As The plane soared through the clouds and I sat in my business class seat, my hands gripping the armrests tightly and my heart pounded in my chest.

“Y/n?” I took out my airpods when I heard the faint sound of my name coming from outside of them. I turned to my right and saw my teammate and captain, Lindsey, looking at me with a confusing look. 

“Hey.” I joked, pretending like my stress wasn’t visible for everyone to see. 

“Are you okay?” Lindsey asked. In my head, I debated on if I wanted to lie and say yes, just so I didn’t have to burden her with my stress. However, she’s known me for many years, the woman would notice my lie from miles away. 

“Not really. I’m just–a bit nervous.” I swallowed. The blonde girl nodded her head in understanding as she rested her arm beside mine. 

“That's understandable. Is it the competition that's bothering you? I mean– we are defending champions so we have a lot to prove.” Lindsey asked. I took a deep breath as my mind shifted to a particular person from my Barcelona team. 

“No– It's about–um.” I stopped speaking. I didn’t want her to cloud my head during the competition, as we both promised ourselves that we would play as rivals, not lovers. 

“Aitana?” Lindsey questioned, but yet finished what I would’ve said. I noticed my head as my face was plastered with sadness.

“yeah.” I mumbled. The Lyon midfielder looked at me with a questionable look, wondering if there were problems between the Spanish girl and I. 

“I mean– there's no problem between us. However we prioritize football first you know? we both agreed that during the competition, we wouldn’t talk much.. just so we can focus on this.” I ranted. I’m not stressed because of a possible match between Spain and the United States, I know that I’ll miss the shorter woman a lot. Also, what if we stop talking and a third factor might influence our relationship moving forward? 

“That's good that you’re prioritizing us– You shouldn’t feel nervous about your relationship because this will give you time to miss each other– things will go back to normal once the world cup is over.” Lindsey patted my shoulder in sympathy, I smirked as my nervousness started to subside. 

A month later, as I stepped up to the penalty spot, the weight of the world seemed to rest upon my shoulders. We finished the match against Sweden 0-0 and after extra time, we had to go into a penalty shootout. The stadium roared around me, a cacophony of cheers and chants from both sides echoing in my small ears. Nerves danced in my stomach, threatening to consume me with doubt and mistakes.

With a deep breath, My eyes focused on Zećira Mušović standing between me and the goal. She did great throughout the game and has the reflexes to stop my shot. Determination burned in my eyes, she saw it too. 

As I approached the ball with speed, the tension in the air was palpable but I couldn’t care. Every step felt like an eternity as my foot sent the ball soaring towards the goal. Mušović dove in desperation, but my ball went directly to the middle as she dove left. The ball crashed into the back of the net, eliciting a deafening roar from the crowd and from my teammates. 

My dimples on my cheeks showed as I am happy to make the penalty. Being substituted on the pitch after halftime, I tried my best to score but my shot on goal was overturned by VAR. Apparently, my body was offside. 

Now, my arms wrapped the bodies of Sophia Smith and Megan Raphinoe as I looked ahead at Kelley O’hara. My heart raced as I stared at her white colored cleats. She needed to score this, or else Sweden had the opportunity to win the knockout. 

She Missed. My heart dropped to my stomach as I looked at the Swedish players with rising confidence and opportunity. Hurtig took the shot and Alyssa blocked it over the line. This caused a debate among the crowd. Deep down, I knew Sweden made it. They’ve won. However, VAR was the only hope which would have proved me wrong. 

Unfortunately, I was right. Sweden emerged victorious in the penalty shootout, their celebration serving as a bitter reminder of the heartbreak that awaited my teammates and I. 

No, No, NO! I thought to myself as I felt the moisture in my eyes start to take place. Immediately, my mind did a flashback to the 2019 World Cup Final. Being 19 years old and happy as my small, yet muscular, arms held the heavy World Cup trophy. 

With a heavy heart, I broke away from my teammates and looked among the Americans in the stands. My shaky hands clapped to the fans in the stands, my facade of strength crumbling with each step she took. Cameras could capture my weak struggle to stay strong as the Swedish crowd rightfully celebrated. 

Turning around, walking back towards the Americans who were on the team, my knees collapsed on the grassy pitch, tears streamed down my tired face. This was the worst that the United States had completed in a World Cup. What went wrong? 

I wanted to stand up so badly, but I didn’t. Shame and Defeat took over my body which laid in the grass. What is my family in the crowd thinking? What are the USWNT fans thinking? What are my fans thinking?... my tears cried out more when I wondered what Aitana was thinking. 

After ten minutes of darkness in my eyes, covered by my hands. A comforting presence enveloped my body. I recognized the floral smell mixed with a tint of sweat. I looked up from my hands and saw Fridolina, my teammate from Barcelona and now my opponent who won the Round of 16. 

“You did so good, Don’t beat yourself up over this!” Fridolina spoke to me first as her thumbs wiped over my teary eyes. I felt comfort but a small amount of envy was inside of me, I wanted to win so badly. 

“Congratulations Frido.” The Swedish girl took her hands and helped me stand up as she gave me a tight hug. Aitana, Frido, and I are a trio back in Barcelona. In fact, she helped Aitana and I confess our feelings to each other. 

“Thank you! Just know that I am proud of you, she is proud of you too. Even if you aren’t proud of yourself.” The 29 year old said as my eyes stained her yellow covered shoulders. I knew she meant Aitana when she said “she”. However, I didn’t know where the Spanish woman was at the moment and what she was thinking. 

“Just go be-beat Japan. Okay?” I said through a crack in my voice. I found solace in the embrace of my friend. I might’ve lost but I am not a bitter person, now I want to see my club teammates have a good World Cup like I’ve once experienced.

As we exchanged jerseys, the voice in my head kept reassuring myself that I'll come back stronger than ever in 2027. 

Just a week later, most of my American teammates left Australia and went back home. However, my teammate Kristie and I decided to stay back. Kristies had a girlfriend who played on a different international team like I did, so we wanted to support them as they’re advancing to the semi-finals. 

Witnessing my Barcelona teammates play each other in the Spain vs Sweden match was intense. Standing beside Aitana’s parents, I wore a basic dark green t-shirt with 501 mid-thigh levi shorts. This is the first time I've met them as her girlfriend and they’re sweet people. We celebrated Spain’s win against Sweden and my heart would have exploded in happiness. My girlfriend will experience a World Cup final! 

On August 20th, after an intense match and a lovely goal from Olga Carmona, Spain won the World Cup! The feeling was bittersweet for me. I am happy for my girlfriend but subconsciously, I knew I wanted it to be me with the United States. However, I brushed that feeling aside since I needed to be happy for my lover. 

“Aitana ¡Estoy tan feliz por ti!” We both ran towards each other and hugged. I feel her lightly kiss the side of my head as I inhale her scent. Being able to feel her embrace after a month apart filled the small void in my heart.

“¡Esto es tan irreal, ahora sé cómo te sentiste hace tantos años!”  (This is so unreal, now I know how you felt all those years ago!) Aitana smiled. The smile on my face struggled to stay as a small frown, which I tried hard to conceal, plastered on my face for a quick second. I don’t think she noticed. 

“Lo siento por lo que ocurrió. En el fondo esperaba que fuéramos nosotros dos quienes nos enfrentaríamos en la final.” (I'm sorry for what happened. Deep down I hoped that it would be the two of us who would face each other in the final.) Aitana said as she understood my defeat in the Round of 16. 

“Aquí también. Sólo debes saber que todavía estoy muy feliz por ti, a pesar de mi derrota.” (Here too. Just know that I am still very happy for you, despite my defeat.) I said as I admired the goal medal that sat perfectly on Aitana's chest. She gave me a sympathetic smile before hugging me again. 

“¡Te amo!” Aitana whispered into my ear. 

“Te quiero más” I smiled back as I relaxed into her arms. 

<3

[captainmartin20]

the startup league is poised to offer Clark everything from a salary possibly exceeding $1 million for less than three months of work, to equity and revenue sharing, sources say.

[i-was-today-years-old-when]

i learned that legendary footballer Lionel Messi's first contract was written on a restaurant napkin during a meeting with FC Barcelona executives. That napkin is now held in a safe in the Credit Andorra bank (x)

[cant-get-no-worse]

Lionel Messi I need you to ignore the $$$500M$$$ check over there for a sec and focus here. what do you see? that’s right. it’s Pedri’s face. his joyful, lifelike, juvene face and his very high football IQ. this is your eyebags ridden son. will you abandon him once more? will you leave him be the only wasted-assist-giver guy of that team? your own child? that’s what I thought. here is your 3M contract. danke schon. see ya in july. and don’t forget to print the tifo yourself, we don’t waste paper anymore.

[clubhoops]

The new Unrivaled women’s basketball league is reportedly pulling out all the stops to secure Caitlin Clark for its inaugural season. According to Front Office Sports, the league is crafting a “Lionel Messi-like” package to lure the superstar guard.

The recruitment strategy mirrors Major League Soccer’s bold approach in 2023, when Inter Miami CF landed Messi. Knowing a standard contract wouldn’t be enough, Inter Miami built an unprecedented offer, including a $150 million deal, partial team ownership, and revenue-sharing opportunities—Apple even agreed to split profits from MLS Season Pass with the soccer icon.

Clark’s star power is undeniable. Recently ranked as the fourth-most-marketable athlete globally by SportsPro, she sits ahead of Messi, who placed fifth. With her popularity and influence, Unrivaled aims to offer Clark a transformative deal—rumored to include a salary exceeding $1 million for a season lasting under three months, plus equity and revenue-sharing opportunities.

Unrivaled hopes a “Caitlin Clark Effect” can spark the same impact Messi had on MLS—boosting ticket sales, driving viewership on TV partner TNT Sports, and attracting top-tier sponsors.

While Clark could easily spend the offseason training, golfing, and landing lucrative endorsements, Unrivaled is banking on the appeal of a hefty payday, ownership opportunities (all players will receive equity), and the challenge of competing against elite talent to entice the 22-year-old sensation.

This full-court press could set the stage for Clark to not only join the league but become the face of a new era in women’s basketball.

[julianalvarez9]

home; fc barcelona x lionel messi

1. the wanderer by celine zabad / 2. lionel messi of fc barcelona celebrates after scoring his team's third goal during the copa del rey round of 16 match between fc barcelona and cd leganes at camp nou on january 30, 2020 in barcelona, spain. (photo by quality sport Images) / 3. lionel messi of paris saint germain celebrating his goal during the ligue 1 match between paris saint-germain and rc lens at parc des princes on april 15, 2023 in paris, france. (photo by antonio borga) / 4. tweet by juegosimple / 5. translation of said tweet. / 6. remembering messi's first barcelona contract, 20 years after it was signed… on a napkin / 7 & 9. interview with sport, 21/11/2019 / 8. lionel messi of fc barcelona celebrates scoring his teams second goal during the uefa champions league quarter final second leg match between fc barcelona and manchester united at camp nou on april 16, 2019 in barcelona, spain. (photo by chloe knott) / 10. sergio busquets of fc barcelona lifts the laliga santander trophy as players of fc barcelona celebrate after being crowned league champions after the laliga santander match between fc barcelona and real sociedad at spotify camp nou on may 20, 2023 in barcelona, spain. (photo by pedro salado) / 11. tweet by gaston edul / 12. translation of said tweet. / 13. lionel messi celebrates at the nou camp stadium the day after barcelona won the uefa champions league cup final on may 28, 2009 in barcelona, spain. barcelona beat manchester united in the final in rome. (photo by denis doyle) / 14. l. frank baum, the wonderful wizard of oz.

[blackswaneuroparedux]

From my point of view, what's beautiful in the sport is that you don't need to know too much about tactics or anything to see. If you find something beautiful, you don't need to be an expert to know it. It's like ballet… The reason it was nicknamed 'ginga' was that normally, when we'd play against a European team…back then, the European teams were very tough and physical. They were big, and defensively solid... There were some in Brazil who thought we should make that our football culture. We would say, 'We want to dance. We want to ginga. Football is not about fighting to the death. You have to play beautifully.' And so we did, and that's the reason that Brazil created more of a show, more of a ballet… The ambition should always be to play an elegant game.

- Pelé (Edson Arantes do Nascimento)

Pelé was born on Oct. 23, 1940, his father was a professional soccer player in their native Brazil. Pelé — who was given his nickname by childhood friends because of the way he mispronounced his favourite soccer player goalkeeper Bilé  - honed his craft playing futsal (or indoor soccer) in Bauru, the region within São Paulo, where Pelé grew up.

In 1956, at only the age of 15, Pelé tried out for the Santos FC professional club near São Paulo. He soon signed a contract with the team and made his professional debut on Sept. 7, 1956. In the Brazilian press, Pelé was instantly hailed as a star, with the forward leading the league in scoring as a 16-year-old in 1957. The following year, Pelé joined the Brazilian national team for the 1958 World Cup, delivering a performance that would make him a global star and earn him the nickname “O Rei,” or “The King.”

Pelé’s dominance continued through the Sixties as his Santos team won six championships in the Brazilian league over the course of that decade, while Brazil also won the World Cup in 1962 and 1970, with Pelé winning the Golden Ball for best player at the latter tournament. In his 19 seasons at Santos, spanning from 1956 to 1974 and roughly 660 games, Pelé scored a record-shattering 643 goals.

In 1975, Pelé helped ignite interest in “the Beautiful Game” - a phrase he in part popularised for the sport, inspired by his own majestic style of play — in the U.S., a country seemingly culturally impervious to soccer’s charms: The American team failed to even qualify for the World Cup between 1954 to 1986. Following nearly two decades at Santos and a brief retirement, Pelé signed with the New York Cosmos of the North American Soccer League.

Pelé’s mere presence helped the Cosmos reach record attendances, and the sport itself gained public awareness otherwise unheard of stateside. He spent three years with the Cosmos, culminating in a Soccer Bowl championship with the Cosmos in 1977. That same year, Pelé played his final game as a pro as the Cosmos hosted his former longtime team, Santos, for an exhibition match at a sold-out Giants Stadium, with Pelé playing for both teams during the game. In the near half-century following his retirement, Pelé became one of soccer’s greatest ambassadors, continuing his push to keep the “Beautiful Game” on the forefront of the world stage. He starred in soccer-related movies — 1981’s Escape to Victory and 1986’s Hotshot — and teamed with Brazilian musician Sergio Mendes on the soundtrack to a 1977 documentary about his life. He received an honorary knighthood from Queen Elizabeth as well as every other possible soccer-related accolade, from the FIFA Order of Merit to the FIFA Player of the Century to a spot on TIme’s 100 Most Important People of the 20th Century list.

The debate over his status as the all-time No.1 is almost unresolvable, with Lionel Messi the only player to match him in Ballon d'Or awards, and the Argentine and Cristiano Ronaldo also leading him in the all-time goal race. But you can judge Pelé’s greatness by what his footballing peers - legendary players in their own time. “The best player ever? Pelé. (Lionel) Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are both great players with specific qualities, but Pelé was better.” said Alfredo Di Stefano, the late and great Argentine star for Real Madrid. Ferenc Puskas, the legendary Hungarian footballer disagreed, “The greatest player in history was Di Stefano. I refuse to classify Pelé as a player. He was above that.” For Franz Beckenbauer, he said of Pelé “He is the most complete player I ever saw.��Rarely do the Germans see eye to eye with the Dutch such is their footballing rivalry, but for the late great Johann Cruyff, “Pelé was the only footballer who surpassed the boundaries of logic.”.

Even Ronaldo, the only player on the same level as Lionel Messi in the modern game, put the debate to rest when he declared, “Pelé is the greatest player in football history, and there will only be one Pelé in the world.”

RIP King Pelé (1940-2022)

[neyxmessi]

Bitches were saying “Leo Messi will renew his contract with PSG in the upcoming weeks!” Now bitches are saying “Leo Messi has no intention of extending his contract beyond the summer.” LIONEL ANDRÉS MESSI PUT ME OUT OF MY MISERY AND TELL ME WHAT YOURE DOING

[doinggreat]

zlatan ibrahimovic and lionel messi

is this a threesome kind of deal? cause smash. pass on zlatan alone cause he gives me the vibes like he'd make me sign a contract or some shit and at the end of the day it wouldn't even be worth it iykwim Smash messi bc i want to see what he has to get antonela that i dont have

[footballandshit]

HAKIMMMM😭😭😭NOOOO

I can’t imagine how he’s feeling now having to fly back to that hell hole.

How does being a free agent work?

I just wanna wrap him up in a blanket and give him a warm hug 😭 he, nor any player, deserve sth like this 😤

oh! on free agent, from what i understand:

A free agent (“FA”) is a player who is not or no longer contractually bound to any club. This usually happens when an existing contract comes to an end (either no renewal/extension was offered or signed). When this happens, they can join any club without a transfer fee. (Note: transfer fee is paid by the new club to the old club that a player is currently with to compensate for the player’s contract with their old club that is yet to expire. This has nothing to do with the player’s salary, etc.)

FAs are not bound by transfer windows, i.e. they may be signed by a club at any time. They can be signed outside transfer windows, as seen with D*ni Alves and Martin Caceres. 

An FA can be approached once their existing contract ends, or they can be approached usually within 6 months prior to their contract expiration for advance negotiations (as seen in Robert Lewandowski’s move to Bayern Munich from Borussia Dortmund)

Lionel Messi is one of the well-known examples of FA, when his contract with Barcelona could not be renewed as the club could no longer afford him. This led him to become a FA and he eventually signed with PSG. There can be many reasons why a contract renewal/extension couldn't happen, be it personal, business/commercial, or other reasons.

References for further reading: link 1 (also briefly talks about the history of FA from the Bosman ruling), link 2, link 3

Hope this answers! 💙

[akjshdkdzdq8qok]

Lionel Messi

Lionel Andrés Messi Cuccittini (Rosario, Argentina, June 24, 1987), known as Leo Messi, is an Argentine soccer player who plays as a striker. Historical player of the Fútbol Club Barcelona, he is currently a free agent after ending his contract with Paris Saint-Germain of Ligue 1 in France. He is also an international with the Argentina team, a team of which he is captain.

Often considered the best player in the world and one of the best of all time,[9] he is the only footballer in history to have won, among other distinctions, seven Ballon d'Or awards, seven FIFA awards for best player of the world, six Golden Boots and two Golden Balls of the Soccer World Cup. In 2020, he became the first soccer player and the first Argentine to receive a Laureus award and was included in the Ballon d'Or Dream Team.

With Barcelona he has won 35 titles, including ten in La Liga, four in the UEFA Champions League and seven in the Copa del Rey.

A prolific scorer, he holds, among others, the records for the most goals in a season, [10] in the same club and in a calendar year. He is also the all-time top scorer for Barcelona and the Argentine team, in La Liga, the Spanish Super Cup, the European Super Cup and the non-European player with the most goals in the UEFA Champions League.

Born and raised in the city of Rosario, at the age of 13 he settled in Spain, where Barcelona agreed to pay for treatment of the hormonal disease he had been diagnosed with as a child. After rapid progression through the Barcelona Youth Academy, he made his official first-team debut in October 2004, aged seventeen. Despite being injury prone early in his career, as early as 2006 he established himself as a pivotal player for the club. His first uninterrupted campaign was the 2008-09 season, in which Barcelona reached the first treble in Spanish football. Due to his style of playing as a small left-handed dribbler, [11] he was soon compared to compatriot Diego Maradona who, in 2007, declared him his "successor".

In 2009, at the age of twenty-two, he won his first Ballon d'Or and the FIFA World Player of the Year award. Three successful seasons followed, in which he won an unprecedented four Ballon d'Ors in a row. His personal best campaign so far is the 2011-12 season, in which he set the record for most goals in a season, both in La Liga and in other European competitions. Over the next two seasons, he too suffered injuries and, in 2014, lost the Ballon d'Or to Cristiano Ronaldo, whom he considers his rival. He returned to his best form during the 2014-15 campaign, in which he surpassed the records for absolute top scorer in La Liga and the Champions League and achieved a historic second treble with Barcelona, as well as winning his fifth Ballon d'Or. winning it for the sixth and seventh time in 2019 and 2021.

As an Argentine international, he has represented his country in fourteen major tournaments. At the youth level, in 2005 he participated with the under-20 team in the South American Cup in Colombia and won the World Cup in the Netherlands, a tournament in which he finished as the best player and top scorer and, with the under-23, received the medal of gold at the 2008 Olympic Games. After making his debut in the senior team in August 2005, at the 2006 World Cup in Germany he became the youngest Argentine to play and score in a World Cup. The following year, in the Copa América, he was named the best young player of the tournament. As captain since August 2011, he reached the finals of the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, the 2015 Copa América and the Copa América Centenario with his team, as well as winning the 2021 Copa América against Brazil at the Maracana and, in 2022, the Finalissima against Italy at Wembley and the World Cup in Qatar against France at the Lusail stadium.

[getting-messi]

How did you find out Messi was leaving Barca ??? I know in general that was a bad day Messi fans

glad you asked dear friend😗

it was TRULY a dark day omg. So basically other than my older brother and I, nobody else knows/cares about football but just knows that im SUPER obsessed with Messi. And unfortunately….my brother is a ronald mcdonald fan🤮 (trust me, im extremely ashamed to be associated to him). So basically, i remember it SO clearly, the news dropped on like the first week of august on a thursday afternoon. 

I remember his contract expiring for the first time since he CAME to Barca in July and barca fans making jokes like “hahaha, greatest player in the world is a free agent, haha what a steal that we’re going to get him” like things were RELAXED AND CHILL. NO ONE could have expected what was going to happen. I do not like being deep in transfer rumours because it just peaks my anxiety so i stay out of it until things are official. But I did know that Messi’s dad came to Barcelona a few days before him to meet with Laporta and the board about his new contract and that it was announced he was taking a 50% pay cut. Then Messi came back to Barcelona after his vacation (he couldnt even enjoy his Copa victory for that long😖) and that he was coming into training EARLY to be with the team during pre-season and that his contract was going to be announced any day. 

NOW TO THE JUICY PART! I was working from home by myself, everyone was out, and i had just gotten out of a meeting and was going to get myself a lil iced coffee. It was a beautiful sunny day, i was in the best mood and right before i leave, i see a text from my brother and he sent me a tweet that was a Marca headline being like “BREAKING - Barcelona is planning to unexpectedly cut ties with Messi and he is leaving the Catalans” and i’ll be so honest with you - i didn’t even break a sweat. It didnt even make me flinch because at this point i didnt believe it. I was thinking “Marca have been wrong a lot, they are a madrid based news outlet, Messi is literally in Barca, like no way”. Just to be sure, I went to my trusted barca twitter pages and ALL of them were like “this is BS, dont believe it, Messi is signing a new contract, like WE ARE GOOD”. So i was like calm, amazing texted my brother not to send me BS reports and then off i went to get my lil drink of the day. I went and got it and on my way back, idk WHY but my phone wasn’t on Do not disturb but i also dont get too many notifications but it was going CRAZYYYYYYYYYYYY. Keep in mind, this was like 10 minutes after my brother sent me that tweet. I’m like what is going on???? and then right as i get to a red light and im about to check my phone, i see that my cursed brother is calling me and i answer and im like whats up, whats going on. Tell me why he was like “where are you and what are you doing”. Im like im in the car just coming back from getting a drink. He was like pull over. At this point my heart is in my throat and i literally thought a family member had died. So im like ok, and i pull over and literally itching with anticipation. And he was like, you didn’t believe that tweet i sent you, well look at what i just sent you now. And so while he’s on the line, i go straight to his texts and its a screenshot of the Barca IG page and my mind went fuzzy. I was like oh my god. If this was an extension announcement, it just would’ve been a picture of Messi. But instead im looking at this long text and my brothers like are you reading it. And im like literally numb parked on the side of the road. And I read “…���mutaul agreement that Lionel Messi will be leaving FC Barcelona”. And i kinda just dropped my phone. My brother is talking to me kinda being a troll and i just hung up. And then im like reading my notifications and my friends and family who dont even WATCH football are being like “yo are you okay, is he actually leaving”. I couldnt even think, SO WHILE I AM STILL IN THE CAR, im like going to my barca twitter pages and theyre out here freaking out like i am, obviously those conspiracy theories were going around that it was just a stunt that Laporta and Messi were doing to get Javier Tebas to let Barca get away with this signing despite our financial mess. People were talking about how none of the barca players posted about it and i truly failed to believe it for the longest time until I think Busquests was the first to post a good bye and it just kinda sank in. 

But i just remember sitting in my car in silence for so long before driving back home. I usually listen to music or a podcast but i literally was just in silence as I got home feeling completely numb.

After i finally accepted that he would be leaving Barca and it was announced in a shitty IG post and the most pathetic 7-minute youtube video, i knew he was going to PSG. I think Grealish’s signing was actually announced the same day a few hours earlier before Barca posted the statement. But I couldn’t believe that they’d betray their most important player like that. It’s still shocking to think about. Like i actually think about how emotional Messi was at the press conference and it really says it all. He’s never cried like that EVER. Even after Copa ’16 when he lost the final and missed a pen and even RETIRED internationally, it wasnt as bad as it was during the press conference. You could really see how heartbroken he was. Especially after the Buro-fax situation that happened the season before and imagine that the world’s greatest player actually taking a 50% pay cut just to stay at your club. And keep in mind these are later years of his career and he was wiling to stay at a struggling Barca that he was single-handedly keeping in UCL and competitive in La Liga. Like he was willing to waste the last good years of his career during the rebuild period for Barca.

Someone said it in my previous answer, apologizing isn’t enough, Laporta REALLY needs to like drop dead or something. I thought I couldn’t hate anyone as much as I hated Barto and look at that🥴

[blancheflericard]

Lionel Messi – No Saudi Arabia offer for Paris St-Germain forward, says Guillem Balague

Paris St-Germain forward Lionel Messi has not been approached by Al Hilal and would not consider a move to Saudi Arabia, Spanish football expert Guillem Balague says.

Recent reports suggest the Argentina international, 35, has been offered £245m to move to the Middle East.

Messi’s contract expires in the summer but, according to Balague, he is close to finalising a deal to remain at PSG.

“There hasn’t been an offer [from Al Hilal],” says Balague.

“PSG and Messi are organising a meeting in the next few weeks to finalise the deal that will keep him in Paris.”

Messi helped Argentina win the World Cup for the first time since 1986 in Qatar last month.

He said after the tournament that he planned to keep on playing for his country, while Balague says he is also determined to win more things in Europe.

“Right now, his motivation is to stay in Europe,” Balague added.

“He is favourite to win the Ballon d’Or, he is still in the Champions League, he has big targets after winning the World Cup.

“Not only does it make no sense to approach him with that offer, it hasn’t existed.”

Messi joined PSG from Barcelona in 2021 and has made 54 appearances for the Ligue 1 side, scoring 24 goals.