The weekend's 3-2 loss to Clermont Foot at home marked the end of Lionel Messi's two-year stay with Paris St. Germain.
The Argentina World Cup winner has been strongly connected with a return to Barcelona, but he has other options, therefore an option to prolong his stay with the Ligue 1 champions has not been activated.
The 35-year-old seven-time Ballon d'Or winner is examined here by the PA news agency to see where he might head next.
Barcelona
Bara's Lionel Messi in action
A return to his spiritual home in Catalonia, the Nou Camp, would seem to be the obvious decision given that Messi never really wanted to go and was essentially driven out since the club's financial troubles prevented them from being able to afford to renew his contract owing to wage limit difficulties. Even as recently as this summer, club president Joan Laporta remarked that it was up to the group to "find a moment to fix that chapter" in order to give it "a more beautiful ending." However, the club still needs to make financial cuts to appease LaLiga, and that continues to be a major roadblock, despite losing the long-serving Gerard Pique, Sergio Busquets, and Jordi Alba off the wage bill for the upcoming season.
"Al Hilal"
#Messi, welcome to Saudi Arabia! From the Red Sea to the ancient city of Jeddah,
#Messi, welcome to Saudi Arabia! The experience of a lifetime is waiting, from the Red Sea to the ancient city of Jeddah.
to greet the famous soccer player from abroad. pic.twitter.com/XHHTe9hwXp #VisitSaudi
May 10, 2022 Visit Saudi (@VisitSaudi)
One country where money is not an issue is Saudi Arabia, where Messi is already a tourist ambassador. This year, Cristiano Ronaldo was already drawn to Al Nassr by the Saudi Pro League. A year after winning the World Cup, Messi might not be ready to step away from the spotlight. He has been linked with Al Hilal, who would have no trouble increasing his net annual salary of 31 million, but Ronaldo's experience since arriving five months ago, with reports suggesting he is not happy, may influence Messi's thinking.
Miami Inter
Although not an elite team, Inter Miami of David Beckham has long been mentioned as the South American's ultimate goal. If he were to move to the United States, he would become the most well-known and expensive player in the history of Major League Soccer. Messi, who owns a home in Miami, has expressed a desire to play in America in the past, and the lifestyle in Florida, which is home to a sizable Hispanic population, would be appealing. However, he would once more have to concede that his days at the very top were numbered and take a sizable pay cut in the process.
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