Lionel Messi has put pen to paper on a new contract with Barcelona that will keep him at Camp Nou till 2023, the club announced on Saturday.
Barcelona have made an official statement to announce that Lionel Messi has signed a new contract with the club. The renewal will see the Argentinean superstar remain at Camp Nou till the end of the 2020/21 season, with the deal containing a buyout clause worth €700 million.
Messi arrived at Barcelona from Newell’s Old Boys in 2000 as a 13-year-old. Only three years after making the move from Rosario, the player made his senior debut against FC Porto – a year during which he represented five different sides at the Catalan club.
He has since embarked on a truly remarkable career, and is rightly regarded as one of the most iconic figures in the history of the game. At club level, the 30-year-old has lifted a staggering 30 trophies, including multiple La Liga and Champions League titles, while also amassing over 600 appearances for Barcelona.
He made his debut 4,788 days ago.
He has played 602 games.
He has scored 523 goals.
He has won 30 trophies.
The story continues.#Messi2021 pic.twitter.com/XPdIhvaqgI— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) November 25, 2017
His record at Camp Nou remains unmatched as well, with 523 goals in his Barcelona career making him the all-time leading scorer for the club as well as in La Liga (361 goals). Add to that, the 198 assists that he has provided so far, and it is not surprising why he is so highly regarded.
Additionally, he has also racked up several individual honours, including a record five Ballon d’Ors (jointly held with Cristiano Ronald0). Judging by all this and more, it is understandable why everyone associated with Barcelona was concerned about his contract situation, with mere months left on his deal.
The fears of a potential exit have now withered away with Messi officially signing a new six-year deal at Camp Nou, having previously only agreed to sign a four-year contract. The contract will also contain a buyout clause worth €700 million, and Messi seemed to be pleased after signing the dotted line.
“I’m happy to continue with the Club, which is my home. My dream was to finish my career at Barça and we are moving down that path. The objective is to continue achieving things, fill the club’s trophy cases, and keep making history at Barça. We’ve been lucky enough to have won a great many things and I hope there will be more in the future.”
With Messi claiming that he would like to end his career at Camp Nou, it will be interesting to see if he signs a lifetime contract with Barcelona in the future, with club CEO Oscar Grau confirming that the Blaugrana are working on rhe same. For now, the news of his renewal will be music to the ears of Barca faithful.