PSG will not renew Messi’s contract after trip to Saudi Arabia: report

Published
0
Paris Saint-Germain’s Argentine forward Lionel Messi looks on during the French L1 football match between Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) and Olympique Lyonnais (OL) at The Parc des Princes Stadium in Paris on April 2. — AFP
Paris Saint-Germain’s Argentine forward Lionel Messi looks on during the French L1 football match between Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) and Olympique Lyonnais (OL) at The Parc des Princes Stadium in Paris on April 2. — AFP

Paris St Germain forward Lionel Messi will not have his contract renewed at the club following an unauthorised trip to Saudi Arabia, French sports daily L’Equipe reported on Tuesday.

Messi signed an optional third-season clause in his contract when he first arrived in 2021. Club officials have decided not to activate it, the report said.

The 35-year-old was suspended for two weeks on Tuesday, L’Equipe added, as he was supposed to practice with his team following a 3-1 defeat at home against Lorient in Ligue 1 on Sunday but instead flew to Saudi Arabia.

The Argentina World Cup winner is banned from playing or training with the team, and his pay will be docked during his suspension.

Messi will miss the upcoming Ligue 1 matches against Troyes and Ajaccio but might return for the match against Auxerre on May 21. He will then be available for the club until the season ends on June 3.

PSG are top of the standings with 75 points from 33 matches, five points ahead of second-placed Olympique de Marseille.

Opinion

Editorial

Fixing bond markets
Updated 01 Oct, 2026

Fixing bond markets

Pension funds, insurance companies, mutual funds, retail investors, and eventually, foreign investors must become bigger participants in the market.
Call centre rackets
01 Oct, 2026

Call centre rackets

A NUMBER of recent raids conducted by the authorities in different cities point to the growing threat fraudulent ...
Homeward bound
01 Oct, 2026

Homeward bound

FIVE months after Somali pirates captured an oil tanker carrying a 19-member multinational crew, Somali maritime...
Kashmir unresolved
Updated 30 Sep, 2026

Kashmir unresolved

The just solution lies in India addressing the issue through a trilateral dialogue involving the legitimate representatives of the Kashmiri people and Pakistan.
Water shortage
30 Sep, 2026

Water shortage

THAT the country is entering the Rabi season with an anticipated water shortage of nearly 25pc, the lowest carryover...
Young hearts
30 Sep, 2026

Young hearts

THE observance may have passed, but the message of World Heart Day should not fade with it. The occasion is a useful...