In the early hours of this morning, Beijing time, before the final round of the 2022-23 Ligue 1 season, Paris Saint-Germain officially announced that Messi left the team on a free agent after his contract with the team expired.
The official message from Paris is simple: after two seasons in Paris, Messi's contract with the club will end after the 2022-23 season, and the club wishes Messi more in his future career.
Before the final round of Ligue 1, Messi had already expressed parting words in an interview. He said: "It's great to have the opportunity to play for Paris Saint-Germain and I enjoy playing in this team. Thank you to the (Paris Saint-Germain) club, thank you to the city and the people of Paris, and wish them good luck in the future.
Messi signed a 2+1 contract with Paris Saint-Germain after bidding farewell to Barca in the summer of 2021. In his two seasons, Messi made 74 appearances in all competitions for Paris, scoring 32 goals and assisting 35 times, winning two Ligue 1 titles and one Ligue 1 Super Cup. This season, Messi has scored 21 goals and assisted 20 times in Ligue 1, winning the assist king.
During his time at Paris Saint-Germain, Messi won a number of individual honours, including a Ballon d'Or and a World Footballer of the Year, and won Laureus Male Athlete of the Year for the second time, as well as leading Argentina to the Qatar World Cup.
Both Messi and Paris Saint-Germain are interested in launching a one-year priority contract extension this season, with the two sides reportedly even reaching a verbal agreement during the World Cup. However, due to Messi's absence from training due to his personal affairs going to Saudi Arabia not long ago, the relationship between the two parties broke down, and finally did not choose to renew his contract.
As for Messi's future, according to multiple media reports, he personally prefers to return to Barca, but it is more difficult to operate. And the Saudi side is thirsty for talent, and offers Messi a high annual salary that is almost impossible to refuse. According to journalist Romano, after Messi confirmed his departure from Paris on a free transfer, Major League League's Miami International also made an offer, while a number of European clubs also contacted Messi.