Lionel Messi had quite the week.

After securing the MLS Golden Boot last Saturday – finishing with 29 goals in 28 regular-season games – the Inter Miami forward signed a contract extension on Thursday with the club through 2028, guaranteeing his place in South Florida for three additional years.

The Argentine wasn’t done: in Game 1 in a best-of-three first round of the MLS Cup playoffs against Nashville SC, Messi netted a brace to help his team win 3-1 on Friday night.

Less than 36 hours prior to kickoff, the club announced the new deal in a statement where Messi signed the contract on the construction site of Miami Freedom Park, the team’s new stadium that’s expected to be unveiled next season.

“Since I arrived in Miami, I’ve been very happy, so I’m truly glad to keep going here,” Messi said in the press release.

“We can’t wait for (Miami Freedom Park) to be finished – to experience it from the inside, in our new home, and for the fans to enjoy it as well. It’s going to be something very special to play at home in such a spectacular stadium.”

The contract extension could potentially increase Messi’s chance of playing in the 2026 World Cup with Argentina, a competition where the former champion hasn’t fully committed to.

The forward is showing no signs of slowing down since he arrived in South Florida in the summer of 2023. Messi is the club’s all-time leading goalscorer with 71 goals in all competitions. In addition to the scoring, the Argentine has tallied 37 assists in 82 games.

Messi and co will be looking to avenge last season’s shock first-round exit to Atlanta United. The team faces Nashville in Game 2 on Saturday night in Tennessee, with a victory guaranteeing a spot in the Eastern Conference Semifinals.

Lionel Messi drew criticism when he grabbed the back of New York City FC’s Assistant Coach Mehdi Ballouchy’s neck after a draw in Inter Miami’s season opener on Feb. 22. The Inter Miami star was given a yellow card for arguing with the referee after the final whistle sealed the 2-2 draw. USA Today’s Messi reporter, Safi Deen, said, “Messi should be fined and forced to issue an apology for his actions.” Apple TV’s Taylor Twellman posted on X: “Not a great look. Grabbing an assistant coach by the neck. Going after the ref.” (Credit: Jose Armando via Storyful)

Argentina won the Copa America for a record 16th time Sunday night, defeating Columbia 1-0 in extra time at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami. Lautaro Martinez came off the bench and scored the winner in the 112th minute, his fourth goal of the competition. The Argentines held on multiple times during the game as Colombia won the possession battle, owning 55% of the ball and peppered Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez with 19 shot attempts.

It was not a banner day for Lionel Messi, who needed to be subbed off in the 66th minute due to injury. In the first half, he rolled his ankle, and after the break, he crumpled to the grass with a non-contact alignment. Cameras panning at him displayed his anguish as he cried on the bench, along with his ankle that swelled profusely. The superstar did not share that it was his last game in a blue and white shirt, but Angel Di Maria confirmed his retirement from international football. Di Maria has made 144 appearances for his country and netted 31 goals. He and former Argentina striker Sergio Aguero are known as Messi’s best friends in the world.

Argentina played Colombia during the group stage and beat them by the same score of 1-0.

Unfortunately, the game story revolves around actions off the pitch. What was scheduled for an 8:00 p.m. kickoff ended up being 9:15 p.m. start time as unruly fans without tickets attempted to enter the stadium forcefully. Disturbing images displayed young fans and the elderly being trampled as the gates swelled over capacity. Many players were concerned for their families in the melee and found it challenging to stay focused during warm-ups. Tickets to the game were selling for over $1,500 on secondary markets due to the game’s magnitude and South Florida’s large Argentinian and Colombian population.

After the game, fans called on CONCACAF, the North American soccer federation, to explain their security missteps in letting the situation spiral out of control. Hard Rock Stadium will host seven World Cup games in 2026, including a quarter-final and stadium safety must be atop their list for improvements.

After an unexpected absence in a soccer match against Hong Kong last month, Argentinian soccer star Lionel Messi faced significant backlash from Hong Kong fans.

Since Messi joined Inter Miami FC, the club has played in a significant number of international friendlies to give soccer fans across the world a chance to watch the greatest player of all time work his magic.

On February 4, Messi was expected to play in a game against the Hong Kong XI team but was unable to participate in the match. No initial explanation came out in the media and Chinese authorities subsequently canceled two matches against Argentina’s national team in response to the issue.

The backlash increased after Messi appeared as a 60th-minute substitute in a game against Vissel Kobe in Tokyo just four days later.

In the backlash, many people questioned how Messi was able to recover in just four days after unexpectedly missing a match with his team. The hashtag “medical miracle” trended on social media with over 1.3 million views.

Speculation arose that Messi missed the game in Hong Kong on purpose and for political reasons. He denied this in a video released on Weibo and insisted that it was because of an inflamed adductor that had gotten worse the day before the match. In his video response, Messi talked about his relationship with the country.

“I’ve had a very close and special relationship with China and I’ve done a lot of things in China,” Messi said. He added that he would like to have the opportunity to go to China again after sending good wishes to the Chinese people.

The video amassed over 20,000 comments and over 200,000 likes in about one hour, and the majority of the media seemed to respect his response and move on with the matter. There was still a small fraction of people questioning his true intentions.

This is just the latest example of how quickly backlash against celebrities can snowball in China’s social media sphere. In some cases, there are serious business ramifications in China’s consumer-based market. The “wolf-warrior” diplomats in China frequently release sharp and blunt public statements on these matters as well.

Interestingly, this case resulted in the Hong Kong match organizer refunding 50% of the ticket price for fans who attended the game. This was a move that would leave the company facing $5.5 million in losses, which certainly did not help China’s consumer-based market either.

Lionel Messi didn’t score in Inter Miami’s season opener Wednesday, but the international superstar appeared healthy and earned an assist in the team’s 2-0 victory over Real Salt Lake. Uruguayan star Luis Suarez also earned an assist in his first MLS appearance.

Between Messi and new acquisition Suarez, along with their former FC Barcelona teammate Jordi Alba, have formed a super team that is overwhelmingly favored to win the MLS title this season. Less than a year ago, the team was dead last in the league.

Though Messi’s arrival in 2023 sparked a late flurry for the team, Inter Miami failed to make up enough ground to make the playoffs last year. Messi suffered several injuries which have kept him more or less sidelined since November, but Inter Miami manager Gerardo “Tata” Martino was happy with his progress in the season opener.

“He has a characteristic that no other player has,” Martino said, according to ESPN. “He grabs the ball very far from the rival goal and the feeling he gives is that he will generate something [that] will end in a goal situation.”

Messi’s assist allowed striker Robert Taylor to earn the team’s first goal of the season in the 39th minute, and Suarez set up midfielder Diego Gomez late in the second half to seal the 2-0 victory. Taylor, a 29-year-old from Finland, has been a bit player for several years, but it was 20-year-old Gomez’s first goal since signing with Inter Miami last summer.

Unlike last season, when fans were packing into stadiums to watch Messi compete for minor trophies, the hype could now be even greater now that Inter Miami has added Suarez with a full season ahead. Ticket prices have quadrupled compared to the start of the 2023 season and could go higher throughout the season as Messi returns to full health and the team enters serious championship contention.

Lionel Messi and Inter Miami are currently on a worldwide preseason tour before the 2024 MLS season. In the team’s latest match in Hong Kong, stars Messi and Luis Suarez both sat out, causing strong backlash from fans and the Hong Kong government. Organizers promised that specifically, Messi would play, but he was ruled out with lingering inflammation in his abductor before the game.

“We understand the disappointment of the fans that filled the stadium today about the absence of Leo and Luis Suarez,” Inter Miami head coach Geraldo Martino said. “This decision was made together with the medical staff. We ran a lot of risk of aggravating their injuries and that’s why they couldn’t be in the game. We understand the disappointment that people have.”

Almost 40,000 fans showed up to watch Inter Miami and Messi against their Hong Kong XI all-star team on February 4, paying anywhere from $120 to $625 for entry. Throughout the game, chants of “refund” and boos could be heard throughout the stadium as fans expressed their displeasure. The Hong Kong government has also expressed its frustration by calling for answers and reducing the budget of Tatler Hong Kong, the company that organized the game.

“The match in Hong Kong became the only one in Messi’s six pre-season friendly matches on this trip where he was absent,” the Chinese state-controlled Global Times said in a statement. “The situation … has magnified these doubts and suspicions on the integrity of Inter Miami and Messi himself.”

Inter Miami won the game against Hong Kong XI 4-1 despite being without their two-star players, Messi and Suarez. The team then went to Japan to play another preseason game three days later, which Messi was able to suit up for, resulting in a 4-3 loss in penalties. Inter Miami will end its preseason tour by playing Messi’s youth team, Newell’s Old Boys, on February 15.

“Anyone who knows me knows that I always want to play … especially in these games where we travel so far and people are excited to see our games. Hopefully, we can come back and play a game in Hong Kong,” the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner said before the game in Japan.

After missing the better part of Inter Miami’s last three matches, including the U.S. Open Final Wednesday, Lionel Messi is said to be returning from injury soon. Inter Miami coach Tata Martino confirmed that the international star will try to come back in a last-gasp effort to get the club into the MLS Playoffs.

“It was not prudent for him to play, not even to consider him for a few minutes because we would have run risks,” Martino noted after the U.S. Open Final, a losing 2-1 effort against the Houston Dynamo. “We will go match by match defining the situation to see at what point the medical department tells us that he is fit to play without taking risks.”

The circumstances surrounding Messi’s injury are somewhat vague, with some citing a scar tissue problem with his leg and others reporting fatigue. He removed himself from a league game against Toronto F.C. on September 20 and has not appeared with the squad since. They have won and drawn their two league matches since and suffered their first loss in the U.S. Open, which does not count toward MLS standings.

With five games remaining in the 2023 season, Inter Miami still has the same slim postseason chance it has had since Messi arrived over the summer. The gap has closed somewhat, however. Not only has the team won or drawn six of its last seven league matches, but several teams ahead of them have also stalled. Inter Miami is now just five points out of ninth place, currently held by New York City F.C. Each victory in the MLS earns three points while draws earn one.

Before Messi arrived in Miami, the team was at the very bottom of the Eastern Conference and has only begun to climb toward a postseason berth because of the efforts of the Argentinian and his longtime FC Barcelona teammates, Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba. The sooner he can return from his most recent setback, the better their chances become.

Inter Miami’s nine-game winning streak, propelled by the arrival of Lionel Messi, came to an end Wednesday when the team played to a 0-0 draw against Nashville SC. The team controlled 70% possession against Nashville but failed to capitalize on several key opportunities.

Despite not scoring for just the second game in his MLS career, Messi still played very well, and received admiration from fans for a pass in the 27th minute which nearly resulted in a goal. Inter Miami has played to a draw in regulation several times, but because those games occurred in tournament formats, the team had the opportunity to win on penalties.

The draw makes Inter Miami’s path to the MLS Playoffs even tougher than it was before, as the team will likely have to win every game remaining on its schedule to even have a remote chance of reaching the postseason. Inter Miami was firmly in last place when Messi arrived, and despite winning the Leagues Cup, the team needs to move up from 14th place to 9th in order to advance.

For the second game, Messi has not spoken to media, typically against MLS rules. When the star did not speak to reporters after the team’s game against the New York Red Bulls, the league claimed that it was the result of a miscommunication.

“There was a misunderstanding regarding Lionel Messi’s media access,” MLS said. “He has not violated any guidelines for his media availability in Major League Soccer.”

Regardless of whether or not Messi leads Inter Miami to an MLS Cup this season, he has made an immediate impact on the American soccer market. Tickets to MLS games featuring him can cost 10 times as much as the average ticket price around the rest of the league. He has stirred up the city of Miami as well, as his home games have become must-see events for those who can afford to attend. Away games act as more of a traveling tour than a competitive sporting event, as teams around the country have already sold out arenas in anticipation of his upcoming matches.

International soccer star Lionel Messi sent shockwaves through the sport Wednesday when he agreed to a deal with MLS team Inter Miami. Specific details of his contract have not been finalized, but the deal has already transformed the landscape of soccer in the United States.

“I have made the decision that I am going to Miami. I still don’t have it agreed upon 100 percent and a few things are needed, but, well, we decided to continue my path there,” Messi said.

Potential terms in Messi’s contract are lucrative and could include a part-ownership of Inter Miami and a share of Apple TV revenue from new streaming subscribers. Spanish publication Diario AS reports that he could earn up to $54 million per season in salary alone.

Messi claimed that he decided to come to play in the United States after failing to make deals with Paris Saint Germain and FC Barcelona.

“After winning the World Cup and not being able to return to Barcelona, it was my turn to go to the league of the United States to live football in another way and to enjoy the day-to-day more. Obviously, with the same responsibility and desire to play well and do things well as always. But in a calmer way.”

Despite Messi’s claim that he could not return to FC Barcelona, the team later said in a statement that he had been offered a deal that was still on the table when he decided to enter negotiations with Inter Miami.

“Jorge Messi, the player’s father and representative, informed Club President Joan Laporta of the player’s decision to join Inter Miami, despite having been presented with a proposal from Barça, in consideration of the desire of both FC Barcelona and Lionel Messi for him to once again wear blaugrana,” Barca said in a statement.

Before Messi decided to join Inter Miami, tickets to the game could be found for less than $30. The cheapest tickets available now are nearly $500. The Messi effect is immediate stateside.

Reports emerged Thursday that international soccer superstar Lionel Messi will not return to Paris Saint Germain next season, with multiple suitors around the globe already being named to potentially sign the Argentinian. With all the leverage in the world, Messi can sign with any team that can feasibly afford him, but several destinations stand out in Europe and abroad.

Of all the potential landing spots for Messi, reports have most strongly suggested that FC Barcelona are first in line to sign him. A return home to the team that Messi played nearly two decades for would be a sensible decision as he nears the end of his career at the highest level of the sport.

The club would have to demonstrate to La Liga that it can afford its old superstar, something it has reportedly failed to do at this time. Confirmation of his PSG departure could reinvigorate the effort, however.

Another team long-rumored to be pursuing Messi is Inter Miami, an MLS club that reportedly offered him a deal that would have made him the highest-paid player in the history of the league last year. More recent reports suggest that the team may even offer him an equity stake in the club to play. If he agrees to play in the United States, he would follow in the footsteps of European stars like David Beckham and Zlatan Ibrahimovic. His impact on American soccer attendance would be even greater, however.

Just as it’s possible that Inter Miami might not be the only MLS team interested in Messi, a number of teams in Saudi Arabia will also likely pursue the PSG defector. Al-Hilal reportedly has offered him a deal worth $400 million. Others are certain to make bids as well in an effort to make the high-yield acquisition for their clubs.

Other possibilities exist for Messi, and some have discussed the possibility of a debut in the Premier League or other leagues in Europe. These clubs are less likely to sign him, however, as they lack the history he shares with Barcelona and the funds to match offers made in the U.S. and Saudi Arabia.

At this point, only two things are certain. While Messi could go to any number of clubs next at any number of locales, he seems set to leave PSG at the end of the season. When that occurs, he is poised to become the highest-paid athlete in the world — again.

Lionel Messi has agreed to a contract extension with the Paris Saint-Germain Football Club and will stay with the team for at least one more season. Before winning the World Cup with Argentina, the international star was rumored to be signing with Inter Miami but never agreed to a deal with the MLS squad.

Messi’s agreement with PSG comes after a dramatic World Cup victory for Argentina over France, in which he led the team in goals and assists. At age 35, the forward demonstrated that he is still capable of playing at the highest level of soccer, a possible motivation for his decision to stay in a European club.

In November, reported rumors heavily implied that Messi would join Inter Miami in MLS at the conclusion of PSG’s 2022-23 season. Owned by David Beckham, who ended his own career in America, the team was reportedly prepared to make the Argentinian the highest-paid player in MLS history.

In 2021, Messi signed with PSG after spending his entire professional career with FC Barcelona. The seven-time Ballon d’Or winner initially struggled in France but has since regained some semblance of his previous form. As a member of the Argentinian team, he led his country to wins in the 2021 Copa America and 2022 World Cup. He will now join fellow stars Kylian Mbappe, the French prodigy who fell just short of defeating him in the World Cup, and Neymar in Ligue 1 until at least 2024.

The two sides have not yet come to a firm agreement, something that Messi will have plenty of time to negotiate after World Cup celebrations conclude. In the meantime, PSG will resume league play on Dec. 28 against Strasbourg Alsace. In February, the team will compete in the Champions League Round of 16 against Bayern Munich in the hopes of avenging a loss to eventual champions Real Madrid in this year’s knockout phase.

Lionel Messi is isolating at home in Argentina after testing positive for Covid-19—one of four Paris Saint-Germain players to do so ahead of the team’s return from winter break.

PSG coach Mauricio Pochettino is not sure when the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner will be able to return to France—or if he can even recover in time to play away to Lyon in the league next Sunday.

Clubs across Europe have been depleted by Covid—reflecting the wider surge the omicron variant has taken. England has been the most affected, as the Premier League has played through the Christmas holidays amid other postponements.

Liverpool announced three further suspected coronavirus cases—goalkeeper Alisson, forward Roberto Firmino and defender Joel Matip; manager Jürgen Klopp had already entered isolation and missed the trip to London—ahead of its Sunday matchup with Chelsea.

French clubs were back playing for the first time in 1 1/2 weeks.

“With regards to Leo, he’s in contact with our medical service,” Pochettino said. “I don’t know if he’ll be able to play in Lyon. He tested positive in Argentina (and) until he’s negative, he won’t be able to travel to France. We’ll see when he gets back.”

“It’s the risk everyone runs in football on a world scale,” Pochettino said. “Contact is unavoidable in football, it’s obvious that there are more risks. “We’ve taken all the steps necessary to avoid a player transmitting the virus to another. I do what the medical service personnel tell us to.”

On Monday, Lionel Messi hit the back of the net to silence his critics and help Paris Saint-Germain prove their quality during a match against Manchester City in a packed Parc De Princes.

This UEFA Champions League Group A match-up was a hot topic for the last few weeks and rightly so: Messi had been linked with a Manchester City since move last year, and Pep Guardiola, the City manager, was a mentor and coach of Messi. But Messi still had not scored his first goal for PSG.

Idrissa Gueye opened the scoring for PSG with a venomous strike into the upper righthand corner in the 8th minute. Kylian Mbappe sent a dangerous ball skidding across the Manchester box and Gueye took one touch to settle and made no mistake with his effort.

Manchester fought hard throughout the match but was unable to score. They had seven attempts on goal as opposed to PSG’s three — two of which were goals.

In the 73rd minute, Messi put an end to his PSG goal-drought, which had been the root of enormous internet criticism. The gripping may be unfair because most of his season has been spent on the sidelines for a variety of reasons.

Nonetheless, Messi answered his critics and ultimately silenced them in stunning fashion. The Argentinian, in typical Messi style, precisely curved the ball past Ederson from just outside the box with his golden left foot — a goal that he’s scored countless times during his days at F.C. Barcelona.

Ultimately, PSG was able to hold off Manchester’s attacking forces and finished with a 2-0 win. This win puts PSG at the top of Group A, along with Club Brugge, with 4 points. This can change rapidly, however, because there are still six matches left to play for each team in the group.

PSG are off to a dominant start in the French Ligue 1, winning all of the first eight games played. Of those games, Messi has only played two. This must be a terrifying realization for the other teams in the league. With Messi, especially after gaining momentum in yesterday’s match, PSG look unstoppable. It’s safe to say, we can dive back into the GOAT debate.

On Sunday, Lionel Messi made his widely anticipated debut with Paris St-Germain, subbing into the match for Neymar rocking number 30 on his back at the 66th minute. PSG defeated Reims 2-0, both goals scored by Kilian Mbappe, who is rumored to soon sign with Real Madrid.

Messi’s debut was the most-watched French match ever in Spain, averaging over two million viewers. The game was broadcast in Spain on Telecinco, a free-to-air television channel operated by Mediaset España. The match was also streamed live on the Twitch channel of a Spanish streamer and esports commentator named Ibai Llanos, drawing an average broadcast of over 300,000 people.

Former Barca defender Gerard Pique bought the rights to the French league after Messi signed with PSG. His company, Kosmos, has reportedly planned to sublicense the rights for the rest of the season, as Telecinco and Llanos only secured the rights to Messi’s debut.

Barcelona president Joan Laporta has revealed that the club’s debt has risen to €1.35 billion.

Laporta took over as president at Barca in March after winning elections that followed Josep Maria Bartomeu‘s resignation in October 2020. Laporta was left to deal with a series of off-the-pitch crises as the club struggled with financial problems which were worsened by the coronavirus pandemic.

“As of March 21, 2021, the debt was €1.35bn,” Laporta said in a news conference on Monday. “Bartomeu was plugging holes in the short term and mortgaging the club in the long term. That leaves us a dramatic inheritance. To the initial debt of €617m, you have to add €389m on players, €90m in litigation, €79m in advance television rights, and €56m from the ‘Espai Barca’ project. In total, it’s €1.35bn.”

Laporta was very open about the financial issues for the club. The club lost superstar Lionel Messi, who joined Paris Saint-Germain last week. Laporta described it as “sad, but necessary,” after Barca was unable to agree to a new contract with Messi within the club’s strict La Liga imposed salary cap.

Only Gerard Pique‘s acceptance of a last-minute pay cut allowed Barca to sign Memphis Depay and Eric Garcia this weekend.

“We’re happy we resolved it with Pique, and we’re hugely grateful,” Laporta said. “Some players are more than just players. Pique is a club man who loves Barca above all. He’s seen that we’re in a difficult situation, and he’s done something that deserves praise.”

Laporta blamed the previous board of directors led by Bartomeu for the increased wage bill. Laporta said that Barcas’ wage bill had reached an unsustainable 103% of the club’s income.

“It isn’t true that the salaries rose to be able to compete with the ‘state clubs’ [referring to PSG and Manchester City] and the Premier League,” he said. “They spent the €220m from the Neymar deal disproportionately and at light speed. That is when the salaries shot up. We’ll have to change the model and invest in [Barcelona’s academy] La Masia, making more proportionate investments with more sporting logic.”

Last week, Bartomeu wrote an open letter in which he defended his administration and criticized Laporta’s running of the club.

“I have read [the letter] carefully, and it is full of lies,” Laporta said in response to Bartomeu’s letter. “It is an effort to justify unjustifiable management. It is an exercise in desperation, that looks to take advantage of a moment of unrest among Barcelona fans. They say they are not responsible for the 2019-20 accounts, but they are responsible until March 17, 2021. The numbers are [Bartomeu’s] board’s responsibility. Nobody will escape from that.”

Lionel Messi, arguably the face of Barcelona soccer, is departing from the club at age 34. Financial problems have made it essentially impossible for him to return to the club he has called home for nearly two decades.

Barcelona released an official statement, part of which reads:

“Despite having reached an agreement with Messi and with both parties clearly wanting to sign a new contract, it cannot be finalised due to financial and structural problems … Given this situation, Messi will not continue his relationship with Barcelona. Both parties lament deeply that the desires of the player and the club cannot be met … Barca would like to wholeheartedly thank the player for his contribution to the growth of the institution and wish him the best in his personal and professional life.”

LaLiga, the league that Barcelona plays in, nixed a deal originally agreed upon by the club and Messi. It would have seen Messi return to the club for five more years.

Messi almost left last summer after getting into a major feud with club President Josep Maria Bartomeu, however ended up staying with the team after Joan Laporta came on to replace Bartomeu.

Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain are now the frontrunners for Messi’s services. Where he ends up, however, is still undecided.

Messi played 778 games for Barcelona. In those games, he recorded 672 goals, led the team to 10 LaLiga titles and won the Ballon d’Or six times.

Lionel Messi will remain with Barcelona after agreeing to a five-year deal. The deal includes a 50% wage reduction and the phenom will be under contract until June of 2026. An official announcement is expected in the coming days.

Messi was a free agent after his contract with the Catalan club expired. His previous contract worth €500 million over four years expired at midnight on June 30. As a free agent, he received heavy interest from Machester City and Paris Saint-Germain. Last summer, Messi attracted the attention of the two aforementioned clubs after revealing his desire to leave Barcelona after two decades.

However, that feeling changed when former Barcelona president Joan Laporta returned as president of the club. Laporta’s return caused Messi to become more open to staying with the team. Laporta hoped to finalize a contract with the forward before his deal expired, but Barca’s financial problems made it difficult. However, Laporta’s confidence never wavered. He knew he could get the forward to remain in Barcelona.

La Liga president Javier Tebas warned Barca they will not be allowed to register Messi’s new deal if they do not reduce spending to comply with the league’s Financial Fair Play rules. Since the coronavirus pandemic, Barcelona’s spending limit has been reduced from over €600m to €347m. Further reductions are expected to be imposed for the upcoming season.

Barca must continue to reduce the wage bill and move players to register Messi’s new deal. The club refuses to rule out the departure of Antoine Griezmann, who signed a five-year contract worth €120m in 2019.

Messi is currently on vacation after helping the Argentine national team win the Copa America.

Lionel Messi‘s contract expired on Wednesday, and his fate with Barcelona remains uncertain.

Messi, who turned 34 last week, is officially a free agent. He has not signed a renewal to extend his 20-year stay at Camp Nou.

Barcelona once had the league’s highest wage bill at more than €600 million per season. However, that has since been cut to just over €300m due to the coronavirus pandemic. Messi’s recent contract with the club was signed in 2017 and was worth more than €500m over four years, including his salary, bonuses and image rights.

Barca cannot afford to pay Messi as much this time because the club has a gross debt of over €1 billion. They have had to be creative with their contract offer to retain Messi.

Barca president Joan Laporta had drawn up a two-year contract with the option for an additional year. The club wants to give Messi the freedom to move to Major League Soccer after the two-year deal expires.

Laporta has said that Messi is more interested in having a competitive team built around than the financial side of a deal.

Last summer, Messi told Barca that he wanted to leave but lately has opened up to the idea of staying with the club. This change of attitude could be attributed to the resignation of the former president Josep Maria Bartomeu, whom he did not get along with, and the return of Laporta, who was previously in charge between 2003 and 2010.

Barca has not won the Champions League since 2015 and has gone two seasons without winning La Liga.

Messi is currently away with the Argentina team at Copa America. He scored two goals and assisted another in a 4-1 win against Bolivia. The win allowed Argentina to move on to the quarterfinals against Ecuador on Saturday night.

Lionel Messi set the record for career international appearance for Argentina with 148, adding to his already incredible list of honors. Messi earned this title playing in a Copa America game versus Bolivia, surpassing his former Barcelona teammate, Javier Mascherano.

Messi, a native of Rosario, earned his first career appearance in August, 2005 coming in as a substitute versus Hungary and earning a red card within the first minute.

Entering the night, Messi already was Argentina’s leading goal scorer with 73 goals, however he continued to add to the tally. He added two goals in the first half, one of which on a penalty kick, and is now ninth in all-time international goals scored. Messi also tallied an assist to Papu Gómez.

Messi’s new Barcelona teammate, Sergio Aguero, also reached a milestone in this match as he recorded his 100th career appearance.

Coming into the match versus Bolivia, Argentina was in first place in Group A after going unbeaten in their first three matches. The 4-1 victory over Bolivia clinched first place and sends them to a quarterfinal matchup with Ecuador. They will play the winner of Uruguay–Colombia.

Messi has continued to impress throughout this tournament as he scored a brilliant free-kick goal in his first match versus Chile, tallying an impressive 57 career free-kick goals. Messi still has his eyes set on a first major international trophy with Argentina, who have not won a major trophy since the 1993 Copa América.

Lionel Messi scored a beautiful free kick once again, this one providing Argentina with a 1-0 lead in the first half of a match versus Chile. Chile’s Eduardo Vargas was able to put one in the back of the net before the final whistle, forcing a 1-1 draw between the sides in their Copa America opener in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

In the 33rd minute, Messi scored a curling free kick from 25 meters away. The stunning strike left Chilean goalie Claudio Bravo with no chance. The goal made Messi Argentina’s all-time goal scorer in competitive matches with 38 goals, passing Gabriel Batistuta who scored 37. Messi has 73 goals for Argentina in total, yet only 38 were scored in competitive matches.

Vargas’ equalizer came in the 58th minute. After Arturo Vidal‘s penalty kick was saved by Argentinian goalie, Emiliano Martinez, Vargas followed up the rebound and headed the ball into the back of the net.

Throughout the game, Messi displayed his brilliance and created a plentitude of opportunities, which Argentina failed to capitalize on. “This match got complicated to us,” said Messi. “We needed to be calm, have the control of the possession and play more quickly. The penalty changed the match too. We wanted to start winning; it was important to start out with a victory. We played a difficult opponent. Uruguay will also be complicated. Two hard matches to start this Copa America.”

“We had six or seven clear chances and we missed them, and Chile got a good draw,” said Argentina’s Martinez, expressing his frustration. “The chances we made today were enough to win by 4- or 5-1.”

On the other hand, the Chilean side was content with the result. “Leo always makes you change your formation. Thank God we managed to secure a draw,” Vidal said. “We are still recovering our intensity, changing the system a little. It was a tough match; we tried to keep the order.”

This game took place in an empty Nilton Santos stadium, which was the site of the 2016 Olympic Games’ track and field events. The pitch was in poor condition and was influential throughout the game, as it seemed to slow down both teams.

The result increased Argentina’s unbeaten streak to 14 games, which began in the 2019 Copa America semifinal.