Things are getting messy in France -- specifically in Paris.
Argentine star Lionel Messi will leave Paris Saint-Germain this summer, club manager Christophe Galtier confirmed.
The situation reached a boiling point in the last month amid Messi's lengthy reluctance to ink a new extension, then with the club suspending him for two weeks on May 3 after making an unapproved trip to Saudi Arabia.
Messi joined PSG in 2021, making it the first time in his 17-year senior career that he suited up for another team besides La Liga's Barcelona. But the 2022 World Cup winner appears set to leave in the summer after winning the Ligue 1 title last year and being on the cusp of doing so again this season.
So, where could Messi be playing next after his stint in France? Let's explore five potential destinations involving Europe and beyond:
Barcelona, La Liga
Where it all began. Perhaps there's another universe in which Messi had never left the Catalan side, but because of financial debt and the COVID-19 pandemic, Barcelona couldn't afford a new contract and instead let him walk on a free transfer.
But maybe Messi's story sees him continuing at the club for another chapter, the first of which included multiple individual and team accolades spread across 17 seasons: La Liga titles, Champions League triumphs, Ballon D'Or's, you name it.
One aspect to consider, though, is team fit. Former Barcelona teammate Xavi is now the manager, and his 4-3-3 system isn't exactly geared toward Messi. Messi, who turns 36 on June 24, nowadays operates best as an attacking midfielder or second striker. The two right wingers are Ousmane Dembele and Raphinha, and the main center forward is Robert Lewandowski.
Xavi would likely need to sacrifice some tactics to compensate for Messi's addition, but it'd be something football fans across the world would definitely tune in to, even if Barcelona's financial situation is still iffy.
Manchester City, English Premier League
Messi has won everything he has really needed to in order to further pad his legacy in this sport. But if we are to nitpick, not playing in the English Premier League, widely considered the toughest division in the world based on overall quality of all teams involved, is missing from Messi's resume.
The one team that would make the most sense is Manchester City, who are managed by Messi's former manager at Barcelona, Pep Guardiola. Guardiola and Messi achieved a great deal together as they revolutionized football via their tiki-taka style, and Guardiola's compact juego de posicion system in Manchester could accommodate Messi.
Not to mention, Messi would swap playing alongside Kylian Mbappe and Neymar for Erling Haaland, now the league's best single-season scorer, and several other extraordinary talents as City routinely fields a squad capable of achieving the rare treble. The dots are there.
Inter Miami, MLS
How does being the highest-paid player in Major League Soccer history sound to Messi? If he feels satisfied with what he's achieved in Europe, coming to play in the United States could be a commercial move Messi makes to prolong his career.
Inter Miami, which has David Beckham as a part-owner, reportedly were close to an agreement last November until Messi himself reportedly eventually did not agree.
System and tactics are not a factor for a league like MLS that would welcome a superstar like Messi at all costs, especially with players like Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Thierry Henry, among others, previously making the switch. But if Messi reconsiders it, MLS would definitely want to make it happen.
Al Hilal, Saudi Pro League
How does being the highest-paid player in football history sound to Messi? What MLS could offer is one thing, but it likely would not come anywhere near to the reported 400-million Euro salary Al Hilal of the Saudi Pro League can afford.
That would be double what Portuguese star and longtime Messi rival Cristiano Ronaldo currently makes with fellow Saudi side Al Nassr.
Again, Messi is still more than capable of playing at a high level for an elite team in Europe, but if money is the biggest factor at his age, it's difficult to tell him -- let alone any human -- to turn away from 400 million.
With Ronaldo already laying out the framework for a lucrative deal in Saudi Arabia, maybe Messi reunites with him to create a new rivalry not named "El Clasico."
Newell's Old Boys, Argentine Primera Division
Moving on from trophies and money, the last team takes us to an incomplete chapter of Messi's life.
Newell's Old Boys is an Argentine club that plays in the top-flight Primera Division and has seen some elite homegrown products emerge from its ranks: Gabriel Batistuta, Ever Banega, Mauricio Pochettino and more. Even Diego Maradona had a brief stint in 1993.
Messi played for the team's youth sides from 1995-2000 before going to Barcelona to treat his growth hormone deficiency, so he never represented Newell's senior squad.
If Messi wants to return to his home nation, the country would undoubtedly welcome him back as they did in the parade when he and the Argentina squad returned from Qatar after winning the World Cup. It may not provide the allure of the previous four options, but it would be quite touching.
