PSG have suspended Lionel Messi for an authorised trip to Saudi Arabia – and will not be re-signing him for another year
Lionel Messi has been suspended by PSG for two weeks, after taking an unauthorised trip to Saudi Arabia.
French outlet L'Equipe are reporting that the World Cup winner's two-day trip to the Gulf state was unauthorised by the club and that now, he will miss Paris Saint-Germain's next two fixtures against Troyes and Ajaccio. This will leave him free to play the final three matches of the season.
But following on from that, the iconic footballer will not have his contract extended in the French capital, according to the report. Messi is the subject of rumours over his future right now – and Barcelona coach Xavi confirmed on Saturday that talks had taken place over his return.
Is this the end of Lionel Messi at PSG?
Lionel Messi shocked the world when he moved to Ligue 1 (Image credit: Getty)
Lionel Messi's free transfer to PSG in the summer of 2021 was brought about by financial mismanagement at Barça and came out of the blue – but now, the two-year stint alongside the likes of Neymar and Kylian Mbappe appears to be well and truly over.
It has been rumoured for weeks that Messi, who has been booed by French fans this season, is set to leave PSG when his contract expires. There is an option for a one-year extension but now, L'Equipe claims that, "the Argentinian's entourage continued to insist on the fact that the desire to extend came from the highest echelons of the club."
That has all changed, however, with Messi now set for either a Camp Nou homecoming, Major League Soccer or the Saudi Pro League, where Cristiano Ronaldo plays.
Lionel Messi is rumoured to be returning to Barcelona (Image credit: Getty Images)
In the meantime, Messi will have his pay docked by his employers. The Saudia Arabia minister of tourism, Ahmed al Khateeb, posted a welcome message to Messi on Twitter on Monday, before sharing further photos of the Messi family visiting Saudi.
Get FourFourTwo Newsletter
The best features, fun and footballing quizzes, straight to your inbox every week.
“What we have seen during Leo's two seasons in Paris is that his relationship with the supporters has long deteriorated due to his lack of performance," Madrid-based MARCA says.
Thank you for reading 5 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access
Mark White is the Digital Content Editor at FourFourTwo. During his time on the brand, Mark has written three cover features on Mikel Arteta, Martin Odegaard and the Invincibles, and has written pieces on subjects ranging from Sir Bobby Robson’s time at Barcelona to the career of Robinho. An encyclopedia of football trivia and collector of shirts, he first joined the team back in 2020 as a staff writer.
