Recently crowned world champion Lionel Messi has signed a contract extension with his current employers Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) that would keep him at the Parc des Princes till the conclusion of the 2023-24 season, French newspaper Le Parisien and Radio station RMC reported.
The latest development in the talismanic footballer's career came after he lifted his maiden FIFA World Cup trophy during the weekend after his Argentinian side beat France 4-2 on penalties in what was later dubbed as the best final in the tournament's history in Qatar.
With the stunning victory at the Lusail Stadium, Messi not only ended La Albiceleste's 36-year wait for a World Cup title but also added the only trophy missing from his cabinet, cementing his status as arguably the greatest of all time (GOAT).
Messi was the main architect of Argentina's spectacular win in the Middle East, having named the player of the competition for his 7 goals and 3 assists.
Since he broke his World Cup duck, speculation had mounted that his erstwhile club Barcelona was trying to bring him back to Camp Nou.
As per Spanish media outlet Marca, Barca president Joan Laporta even planned a trip to Doha to convince the seven-time Ballon d'Or winner to rejoin the club but chose to stay at home at the eleventh hour.
However, his plans have now been left in limbo as the Parisian outfit has reportedly tied La Pulga down to a new contract.
Messi arrived in the French capital in 2021 after a dramatic turn of events in Catalonia.
Barcelona had offered him a new contract. But their mounting debt, which stood over $1.5 billion at the time, forced the Spanish giants to renege on their promise as they couldn't afford the Rosario-born football star's wages.
Seeing this, PSG latched on the opportunity to sign Messi and brought him to Ligue 1 on a $104 million two-year contract as per American sports publication Bleacher Report.
Though he had a dismal first season with PSG compared with his lofty standards, Messi returned to his old dominant self, having produced 12 goals and 14 assists across competitions for the French champions this season.