Lionel Messi has finally signed his eagerly anticipated Paris Saint-Germain contract, completing a move that confirms the end of a career-long association with Barcelona and sends the French club into a new era.
PSG said in a statement that the 34-year-old Argentina star had inked a two-year deal with the option for a third season.
“I am excited to begin a new chapter of my career at Paris Saint-Germain,” Messi said.
“Everything about the club matches my football ambitions. I know how talented the squad and the coaching staff are here.
“I am determined to help build something special for the club and the fans, and I am looking forward to stepping out onto the pitch at the Parc des Princes.”
No salary details were given but it is believed Messi will earn an annual wage of 35 million euros ($A56 million).
“I am delighted that Lionel Messi has chosen to join Paris Saint Germain and we are proud to welcome him and his family to Paris,” PSG chairman Nasser Al-Khelaifi said.
“He has made no secret of his desire to continue competing at the very highest level and winning trophies, and naturally our ambition as a club is to do the same.”
Throngs of PSG fans on Tuesday gathered at Le Bourget Airport in Paris to welcome Messi, who was wearing a T-shirt featuring “Ici c’est Paris” – “This is Paris” upon his arrival.
The words are a long-familiar refrain from a favoured fan chant at Parc des Princes stadium, where Messi is to be presented to them before kick-off of Saturday night’s game against Strasbourg.
Such was the fervour of his arrival that police had to push back to stop metal barriers from toppling over at the airport as fans surged forward to get a better view.
He then travelled into Paris with a police escort.
As disbelief at landing one of soccer’s all-time greats turned to sheer enthusiasm, many gathered for a glimpse of Messi at the stadium.
They got their wish as the smiling superstar briefly waved to them before he underwent a medical check.
He is expected to attend a press conference on Wednesday.
Earlier, Messi’s father and agent, Jorge, had confirmed his son was moving to PSG in a brief exchange with reporters at Barcelona airport before they flew out for France on Tuesday.
PSG supporters have seen their club transformed over the last decade since the influx of Qatari sovereign wealth investment.
Once Messi’s Barcelona contract expired – and the Catalan club was unable to afford to keep him – PSG was one of the few clubs that could finance a deal to sign him.
Messi’s arrival gives PSG formidable attacking options as he links up with France World Cup winner Kylian Mbappe and Brazil forward Neymar.
“Back together,” Neymar posted on Instagram over a video of them hugging, playing for Barcelona.
Messi became the most desired free agent in football history after his attempts to stay at Barcelona were rejected last week by the Spanish league because the salary would not comply with financial regulations, with the Catalan club burdened by debts of more than 1.2 billion euros ($A1.6 billion).
PSG will be hoping not only that Messi helps the team regain the French title it lost to Lille last season, but finally win the Champions League.
The transfer makes PSG potentially the greatest club side ever assembled – after they added several other stars to the list this season including Italian goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma and ex-Liverpool midfielder Gigi Wijnaldum
Not everyone is convinced it’s a great move for the game, and the Independent’s football writer Miguel Delany was among those most scathing.
“If Lionel Messi’s departure from Barcelona was genuinely sad for him, his arrival at Paris Saint-Germain is just depressing for the game.” Delaney wrote.
“It is another development in this saga that completely articulates the absurdity of football’s modern finances, and the lack of competitive balance that is destroying the core of the sport.
“The constant counter-argument is that PSG are one of a limited number of choices, because few others can afford him. That is precisely the problem and why it is so depressing. It isn’t some coincidence.
“It comes from a decades-long absence of regulation in football, that allowed some clubs to inflate to such a size that the prospect became attractive to some of the questionable states in the world as sports projects.”
JW
Guest
Maybe. If I’d already earned a billion dollars, didn’t want to move my kids, and wanted to help my club through a difficult time. But no, I’d probably take the $56m from PSG too.
Reg Grundy
Guest
It had nothing to do with Spainish law, there is a good couple of articles about it over at The Gaurdian, because I was also confused about it. The issue was a salary cap limit imposed by La Liga whereby even if they did pay the 50% wage reduction Barca was still going to over it. Barca totally stuffed this up. Messi hasn't done anything wrong, would you work for free?
Mark
Guest
I suppose in time Ligue 1 might become a two horse race between PSG and Troyes now that's been acquired by CFG. Especially since one is Qatari owned and the other UAE. Look at the bright side, in 20 years these clubs owned by oil money might not have that money available for them what with climate change policies.
JW
Guest
Just saw Baggio’s comment above about Spanish law, so feel free to ignore my comment. Funnily enough, I don’t know much about Spanish law.
JW
Guest
Had the exact same thought. If he was so sad to leave and really didn’t want to relocate his kids, he could’ve instead stayed on reduced wages to help the club that paid him so well over the journey. I would think his previous salary contributed in some way to barcelona’s financial struggles. I don’t blame him for leaving for $$$, but don’t act like you have no other option.
Tim Carter
Roar Pro
Like the Socceroos in Oceania, perhaps PSG need to find a way to be creative with their geography.
Tim Carter
Roar Pro
They're still in crazy debt, with a guttered out squad.
Tim Carter
Roar Pro
Even if he played for free, Barca were well over the FFP salary limits.
Roberto Bettega
Roar Rookie
I had similar thoughts. My first reaction to the headline was: meh, welcome to football as we've known it for the last 40 years. Why are people so concerned about PSG assembling a massive roster? Did anyone express the same concern when for a few few seasons Real assembled the Galacticos? I'm struggling to understand what people are worried about. Barca didn't want to pay his asking price to continue on into his twilight years, and PSG was happy to meet it. That's pretty much it. If PSG can get around the fair play rules, well, fair play to them. That's football in 2021.
Big Mig
Roar Rookie
Chris - agree 100% , Donnarumma is wasted at PSG, he is still young and needs those high pressure matches week in week out if he wants to become the best goalkeeper in the world. As it stands he'll make 1 save a month, hardly any practice. It's kind of like those players that go off to play in China, they rarely hone their talents. Big mistake, especially at his age and stage of development. He would have been better off even in Serie A, EPL or La Liga. I'd even go so far to say another lower table French Club - at least he'll get lots of shots to save.
chris
Guest
Have to say Mig I'm really disappointed Donnarumma went there. He and Mbappe (and Veratti) should be playing in much better leagues.
Voice of Reason
Roar Rookie
All true, but I still don’t like it!
Brainstrust
Roar Rookie
The Spanish tax department will be crying as well. The sensible decision that Barcelona should have done is to get rid of Messi when the tax rules made it ridiculously expensive to keep him. They had Messi best years won the champions league and should have cut and run ,now the club is bankrupt. Paying 165m a year for Messi of which 110 million went to the Spanish tax department is not good sense. They should be happy a repeat of that deal even at half the level fell through. PSG have a big bottomless well of money through the deal that Qatar could have the world cup in return for a man city style investment in French football along with a lot of other things.
Marcel
Guest
I've been reading this story for the best part of 50 years now. Cruyff to Barcelona was such an inconceivably large sum that it was surely the end of days. I'd expect folks older than myself have other examples going further back. Football has been "dying" for decades...but strangely the new generations of punters keep coming.
Big Mig
Roar Rookie
certainly overhyped when players like Grealish and Kane are worth more than Messi...
Big Mig
Roar Rookie
You'd expect the French League to be one of the most lop-sided in the world now, its PSG and the rest, Messi and Co to score 100's goals and Donnarumma hardly makes a save. They'll have no tough competition which will ill-prepare them for the real games in the champions league , there's strong competition with the likes of Man City, Chelsea, Juve, Inter, Bayern, Real, Barca et al. They'll all smash PSG.
Baggio
Guest
Messi was happy to cut his wages by more than 50%. However it is Spanish law that an employer can not do this. So between la liga rules and Spanish law, he had to leave Barca. Sad seeing him going to psg. Would of loved seeing him in the epl or serie a, where there is a bit more depth in the quality of teams.
Ben of Phnom Penh
Roar Guru
Behind closed doors there will be huge sigh of relief at Camp Nou.
chris
Guest
Yes ala Maradona who took Napoli to heights they hadnt seen before nor since.
TheSecretScout
Roar Guru
i hope this makes people realise he's not as squeaky clean as his PR team makes him out to be, he's been caught out on camera and with lip readers saying awful things to opponents on multiple occasions in the past couple years + his reluctance over the course of his time in barcelona to lower his salary is what caused there financial issues his fake tears at leaving barca and then beaming smile in the PSG shirt doesnt sit right with me either, hes a smug little so and so at least with c ronaldo you knew he was always arrogant, this move will shine messi in a new light hopefully