Lionel Messi makes debut for France’s PSG after legendary run at Barcelona
Ligue 1 goalkeepers don’t always bring their young children onto the pitch after matches to make sure they get a photo with an opposing player, but those players usually aren’t Lionel Messi.
Fittingly, when the Argentine superstar came on in the 66th minute Sunday, he was replacing former Barcelona teammate Neymar. Messi received a raucous ovation, and not just from the PSG supporters at Stade Auguste-Delaune in Reims. With “Messi! Messi!” chants ringing throughout the 20,000-seat stadium, thousands there showed their appreciation for the soccer deity suddenly plying his trade in France’s top league.
As arguably the greatest player ever in his sport, Messi brings a legendary aura that perhaps, among active players, only Cristiano Ronaldo could equal. While Rajkovic’s son did not appear immediately impressed, one can imagine that he will eventually come to appreciate the post-match pose his father engineered.
During his time with Barcelona — over two decades if you count his several years in the club’s youth program — the 34-year-old Messi won a record six Ballons d’Or as the world’s best soccer player. He also racked up six Golden Shoe awards as the most prolific goal scorer across Europe’s top leagues and led Barcelona to a slew of domestic and international titles.
It may not have been his first choice, but leaving that club for one in another country and league gives Messi a new challenge.
“You all know how my exit was from Barcelona,” he told reporters earlier this month while being introduced with PSG. “It was a very hard moment after so many years, but the moment I arrived here, I felt very happy.”
Ronaldo is also changing teams after departing Juventus for a second go-round with Manchester United. Ronaldo is expected to suit up again for the Premier League powerhouse, for which he starred from 2003 to 2009, in September.
