Lionel Messi is increasingly looking set to leave Paris Saint Germain with him and his wife attending a Coldplay concert in Barcelona instead of celebrating winning the Ligue 1 title.
On Saturday night, Messi scored a goal in their draw with Strasbourg to clinch a record 11th Ligue 1 title for PSG. The goal was also his 496th goal in Europe, breaking more records for him.
Messi has been proficient for PSG this season. In Ligue 1, the Argentinian has 16 goals and 16 assists. He has produced many moments of magic which have helped the club win the league.
While he has been amazing this season, winning the World Cup even, it seems many in Paris aren’t happy with him. Many PSG fans have booed at the player alongside Neymar for the club missing out on Champions League glory. As a result, Messi has also distanced himself from the club and seems not to care about the club in general.
He also seemed to distance himself from the title celebrations while the other players were indulging.
Lionel Messi seen in a Coldplay concert
In the latest instance, Messi has snubbed going to the Ligue 1 end of season awards. He was instead seen attending a Coldplay concert in Barcelona.
Lionel Messi boycotted the UNFP ceremony with PSG last night. Instead he was spotted with Fabregas at the Coldplay concert in Barcelona. pic.twitter.com/9DR2VIGVm8
— Frank Khalid OBE (@FrankKhalidUK) May 29, 2023
The UNFP awards ceremony was held in Paris yesterday night. It saw many awards given to players of Ligue 1 and Ligue 2 alongside the women’s league in France.
Kylian Mbappe was awarded the Ligue 1 Player of the Season award. There was a team of the season lineup also released with four PSG players included. They are Mbappe, Achraf Hakimi, Nuno Mendes, and Lionel Messi himself. But Messi decided not to attend the ceremony and receive the award.
Leo Messi, not at UNFP ceremony with PSG tonight — he’s at Coldplay concert in Barcelona. 🏟️🎶 #Messi
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) May 28, 2023
Barça fans chanting for Leo there, via @gerardromero ⤵️🎥 pic.twitter.com/Kqia0eWXR0
Instead, footage of the player alongside his wife Antonela Rocuzzo, and former teammate Cesc Fabregas emerged. As reported by Catalan journalist Gerard Romero, they were seen partying in the Montjuic Stadium where Coldplay was headlining a concert. The Montjuic Stadium will also be Barcelona’s home stadium from next season, as the Spotify Camp Nou will undergo a complete makeover.
Messi seemed to keep his presence a secret. But it is hard for a club legend to remain undetected in Barcelona. After Barcelona fans quickly discovered the player sitting in the lower stands, they started chanting his name. Clearly, the Barcelona fans want to see their legend rejoin their club.
Messi: Will he come to Barca or not?
Once his two-year contract at Paris Saint Germain ends after this season, he can leave for free. Fabrizio Romano even confirmed that Messi has now already decided to leave PSG at the end of the season, having rejected their previous contract renewal offers.
Saudi club Al-Hilal reportedly provided the Argentine superstar a contract for more than €400 million ($438.2 million) each season. This offer was made one month ago, though Messi did not respond to it yet. The deal could reach almost one billion dollars throughout the whole contract.
Barcelona who is the other competitor for Messi cannot give him a high salary. Barcelona are struggling with financial issues and FFP regulations making it extremely difficult for them to sign the veteran.
But it seems that Messi himself wants to return to his childhood club. The Argentine is in close contact with both manager Xavi Hernandez and even president Joan Laporta revealed he spoke with him. Fans of the club chanted Messi’s name frequently in the past few matches and even now players like Pedri and Araujo are expressing their desire to see him back. It was even reported that Messi was part of the title celebrations in the locker room via a video link.
Barcelona are working on strategies to convince La Liga to sign Lionel Messi. If the club can pull this miracle off, we could see Lionel Messi back in his eternal club.
