Messi again. As usual. In the year of the whistles in the Parc des Princes, of the insults in the streets and of the sanction for his trip to Saudi Arabia. In the year in which many people do not forgive him for his definitive consecration in the World Cup in Qatar, precisely against France.
Spellbound as in his entire life, Messi was once again the protagonist in the match in which Paris Saint Germain finished closing what was predicted a long time ago: his new conquest of the boring Ligue 1, which he won in eight of the last ten editions.
It was probably one of Messi’s last games at PSG. And in that farewell, he managed to give him the two-time championship with a goal in the tie against Racing de Strasbourg 1-1, as a visitor, for the penultimate date of the tournament.
He did it with the formula of the entire season, Messi and Kylian Mbappé, although this time inverted: the French crack overflowed on the left and assisted the Rosario, who defined exquisitely on one side.
Messi’s celebration, who did not look at the ultras of PSG, synthesized what he has experienced in these two years in his second club as a professional: a stay marked by coldness and harassment, which worsened due to the World Cup final and, above all, for eliminations in the Champions League.
Despite all this, with Messi’s goal yesterday in Strasbourg, PSG almost secured the title: there were 15 minutes into the second half and with just one draw they were guaranteed to win the League. Some suspense was built 20 minutes later when Kevin Gameiro scored the equaliser.
However, it was only a moment of capsizing. PSG immediately cooled the game and headed towards its 11th star, with which it became the top winner, above Olympique de Marseille and Saint Etienne, both with 10.
The world champion contributed 16 goals and 16 assists in the campaign, which featured him in 32 games. Messi spends his last days with the PSG shirt, in a different context than his arrival, full of praise, press and love from the Parisian fans.
The man from Rosario starred in his penultimate game, if nothing unusual happens, because the link has a possibility of extension, but everything indicates that his path will be elsewhere (Barcelona? Al Hilal?).
Nothing remains of those postcards at the Paris airport in August 2021, with the white Ici c’est Paris shirt and a cinematographic greeting from the balcony of the Royal Monceau hotel on the street of ‘Champs Elysées’.
Little did the PSG fan care about the two league titles obtained, the assists and the goals. The eliminations from the Champions League weighed more and, although some people relativize it, the enormous performance of Messi in Qatar 2022, with two goals including against France in the final, plus the penalty in the definition.
The breaking point happened a few weeks ago, when Messi left, without apparent permission, for Saudi Arabia for personal business, and the board suspended him for two weeks – it was finally one – and a fine.
The dream of succeeding outside of Barcelona did not fully come true, although in between and with Argentina he won everything that was denied him before. PSG wanted the Champions League, but the trident of Messi, Kylian Mbappé and Neymar did not give it to them and that is why the end is opaque, despite this consecration.