Lionel Messi: Guillem Balague on where PSG forward could be playing next season
by bbc sport
With the World Cup inching ever closer, speculation as to the next destination of Lionel Messi continues apace.
At 35, the Paris St-Germain forward has won almost every accolade in the game. He has won the Ballon d'Or - awarded to the world's best player - a record seven times and also won the Fifa Best Men's Player award once.
But where will the Argentine superstar be weaving his magic next season?
Despite clearly approaching the latter stages of his career, Messi, with 11 goals and 14 assists from 17 Ligue 1 and Champions League appearances this season, is very much back to his frightening best.
Messi and his family did not enjoy the happiest of departures from Barcelona, where he had starred for more than half his life, nor did he hit the ground running after his arrival at Paris in August last year.
Shirt sales on his signing for the club exceeded those of Kylian Mbappe and Neymar when they came to PSG. Unfortunately the initial performances, affected by injuries, adaptation and a tough Covid infection, did not totally live up to all the hype.
But as everything has fallen into place in his personal life then that has swiftly been reflected by his performances.
Put simply, if PSG were to put a contract on the table and tell him it had to be signed there and then, Messi would do so.
But with qualification into the knockout stage of the Champions League secured, his main focus is on the World Cup and he has asked everyone in his entourage not to talk about his future until after then. That could be January or June, but certainly after the tournament.
Messi goes to Qatar carrying the hopes and dreams of the entire nation of Argentina, the main asset in what looks like an extremely good side built around him by coach Lionel Scaloni. They look very much like they could be there or thereabouts in the competition.
For Messi this will be the perfect litmus test as to whether or not he still deserves his place among the elite, whether he is still up to the task in hand. Then he will decide at what level he wants to play.
Messi's current contract, which runs until the end of June next year, was for two years plus an option of a third, although the extra year only comes into effect if both parties agree to it.
As things stand PSG now realise more than ever his value both commercially and in a sporting context. If they sit down at the end of the World Cup he will be offered a further year's contract plus an option for a second year, rather than putting into effect the extra-year deal currently in place.
The word coming out of Paris is that they are optimistic he will sign.
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