Late on Tuesday, the news broke that Lionel Messi has been suspended by Paris Saint-Germain with immediate effect.
The suspension will last for two weeks, with Messi also barred from training during his time on the sidelines.
Why has Messi been suspended?
Messi’s suspension relates to an unauthorised trip to Saudi Arabia, taken shortly after PSG’s 3-1 defeat at home to Lorient on Sunday. The 35-year-old had asked for permission to make the trip to carry out commercial work and was thought to have been approved, only for the decision to be reversed following a change in PSG’s training schedule.
However, Messi decided to go anyway and was pictured in Riyadh on Monday, advertising his presence in the country on social media with an Instagram post receiving well in excess of 5m views. Messi already serves as a tourism ambassador to Saudi Arabia — a role that landed him a fine from the Qatari-backed PSG.
As further punishment, Messi has also been fined two weeks’ wages from PSG, who are yet to comment publicly on the matter.
Messi, however, released a statement via his Instagram story on May 5th 2023.
The statement translates to: “Hello. I wanted to make this video about everything that’s happening. First and foremost, I want to apologise to my teammates and to the club. I honestly thought that we were going to have the day off after the match, as we did in previous weeks. I had organised this trip to Saudi Arabia – which I had previously cancelled – and could not do so again. Once again, I want to apologise to my teammates for what I did and now I am here waiting to see what the club decides.”
I am happy to welcome #Messi and his family to Saudi to enjoy the magical tourist destinations and authentic experiences.
We welcome visitors from all around the world to experience a unique trip to Saudi Arabia and its hospitality. ??#WelcomeMessi pic.twitter.com/QQGdnAqQ08
— Ahmed Al Khateeb أحمد الخطيب (@AhmedAlKhateeb) May 1, 2023
Which PSG games will Messi miss and when can he play again?
Messi’s suspension means he’ll miss PSG’s key clashes against Troyes and Ajaccio as they seek to maintain their five-point advantage over Marseille in the Ligue 1 title race. The seven-time Ballon d’Or-winner will now only be available for PSG’s final three games, starting away at Auxerre on Sunday, May 21, followed by a trip to Strasbourg and a home clash against Clermont on the final day.
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What does the suspension mean for Messi’s PSG career?
While in literal terms, Messi will miss just two weeks of action for PSG, this will likely spell the end of his time in Paris.
The Argentine icon’s contract with the club is up this summer and there has been a growing feeling that Messi has never fully embraced life at PSG. In 71 appearances across all competitions, Messi has managed 31 goals and 34 assists, which is a sharp drop-off from his Barcelona days, while PSG haven’t even come close to securing the Champions League title they crave so much.
Messi has been linked with a return to Barcelona practically since the day he left, while a possible move to MLS with Inter Miami has been the source of plenty of headlines. Supporters have been ready to move on for some time and now, it appears the player and club are also on the same page.
When asked about the possibility of re-signing Messi, Barcelona head coach Xavi — a long-time former teammate of Messi — remained cryptic, but noticeably refused to rule anything out.
“When it comes to Leo, we don’t know if it will happen or not,” he said. “We don’t know. It’s too soon to talk about it.
“Winning the title is very important to us, for the club, the staff and the players it would give us a lot of stability. As for new players arriving, we will talk about it once we’ve won La Liga.”