Lionel Messi suspension: 7 things to know about PSG star's 2-weeks ban

7 things to know about Lionel Messi's PSG suspension

Lionel Messi suspension: 7 things to know about PSG star's 2-weeks ban

David Ben 10:38 - 03.05.2023

Lionel Messi’s 2-week PSG suspension will see him miss out on more than £2million this month.

Lionel Messi’s Paris Saint Germain future has since been up in the air following his return from the World Cup in 2022 which he lifted with Argentina.

The 35-year-old maestro and 7-time Ballon d'Or winner has been linked with a number of moves away from the Parc de Princes, having endured a mixed season in the French capital.

Messi has been linked with a move to the Middle East, with Saudi League giants Al Hilal reportedly interested in his services, as well as a return to where his iconic career began Barcelona, and even links to the Major League Soccer in the USA never seem to end.

As if Messi’s relationship with PSG could not get any worse, the Albiceleste skipper has recently been sanctioned by his Qatari owners.

Lionel Messi suspension PSG
PSG have suspended Lionel Messi for two weeks without pay

Pulse Sports reported that Lionel Messi was suspended for two weeks by PSG after taking an unauthorised trip to Saudi Arabia, an act that was deemed irresponsible and disrespectful by the club’s hierarchy.

In this article, we will break down the important details behind Lionel Messi’s PSG suspension as well as what it could mean for his already bleak future in the city of love.

Lionel Messi suspension: 7 Key details behind PSG star's 2-week punishment

1. Why did PSG suspend Lionel Messi?

Lionel Messi suspension
Lionel Messi has been suspended for 2 weeks by PSG

According to reports, Lionel Messi was suspended by PSG for travelling to Saudi Arabia without formal authorization.

It’s no secret that Messi is a tourism ambassador for Saudi Arabia and often promotes the country’s undiscovered cultural highlights.

Messi was pictured with his wife, Antonela Rocuzzo and their children last week in Saudi Arabia.

Lionel Messi suspended for Saudi Arabia trip
Lionel Messi with his family in Saudi Arabia

The Argentine star also took to his official Instagram page with more than 458 million followers to make a post with a caption that read: “Who thought Saudi has so much green? I love to explore its unexpected wonders whenever I can. #visitsaudi”.

The post which was made on Sunday on Instagram is a paid partnership” with Visit Saudi, a subsidiary of the Saudi Tourism Authority.

Sources close to Messi say that the 2022 World Cup winner had committed to this visit after having postponed it twice. 

It is part of its partnership for the promotion of tourism in Saudi Arabia for which Messi earns €30 million.

Messi did not wait for the agreement of Christophe Galtier or Luis Campos before leaving much to the shock of his PSG teammates.

The team would have been given two days off if they beat Lorient, but they lost. 

So the Argentine was expected in training but his camp did not want to reschedule the trip for the umpteenth time.

2. Lionel Messi reportedly asked for permission to travel but was denied

Lionel Messi suspension PSG
Lionel Messi reportedly asked PSG for permission to travel to Saudi Arabia but was denied

BBC reports that Lionel Messi did indeed ask for permission to travel down to the Middle East to carry out a commercial gig but was refused, with the 35-year-old feeling obliged to make the trip down regardless.

And few hours after the news of Messi’s PSG suspension broke, Ahmed Al-Khateeb, the Saudi Minister of Tourism, released new photos of the visit of the Argentine star and his family.

Al-Khateeb posted on Twitter photos of Messi’s family with a caption that read:  "Messi and his family treated themselves to a delicious selection of international cuisine and a luxurious shopping experience in Via Riyadh, followed by a fun afternoon of games, virtual reality experiences and quality family time at Riyadh City Boulevard."

3. Messi was suspended by PSG for 2 weeks without pay

Alongside the suspension, Lionel Messi will also not receive a penny from the club for two straight weeks.

Lionel Messi suspension PSG
Lionel Messi is one of the highest-paid players at PSG

Messi who is one of the highest earners at the Parc de Princes and one of the richest footballers in the world reportedly takes home a mouth-watering weekly payday of £1,080,582 via verified figures from Capology.

But the Argentine skipper will now miss out on over £2million of his monthly wages at the club.

4. PSG have reportedly ripped up plans to extend Messi’s contract

Messi’s latest Saudi trip did not go down well with Paris Saint Germain’s leaders who have now ultimately decided against renewing his contract which is due to expire this June.

 L’Equipe reports that all the decision-makers at the Parisian club who were keen on La Pulga’s renewal have now made a swift u-turn as a consequence for Messi’s unauthorised trip.

It is understood that the optional one-year clause to extend his contract will therefore not be activated.

5. Lionel Messi's suspension signals the beginning of the end of his PSG career

Lionel Messi suspension PSG
Lionel Messi's PSG future is in further doubt

Lionel Messi’s future appears to have been decided following the latest developments at PSG.

The 2-week suspension without pay leaves Messi at loggerheads with the club’s board and fans who have in recent months taunted the Argentine for his performances at the club.

So far this campaign, Messi has scored 20 goals and created 19 assists in all competitions for PSG.

Lionel Messi suspension PSG
Lionel Messi has reached double figures in goals and assists this season for PSG
var widgetLoaderConfig = widgetLoaderConfig || { CDN_URL: 'https://widgets.sportal365.com', APP_LINK: 'desktop', API_URL: 'https://africa.football.api.sportal365.com/', API_KEY: '2f852b4de2f3a5cf3188e74b33087bb4:2c18422f8e826a7d11aeed52edb2449e', LANG: 'en', REQUEST_INTERVAL: 30, ENABLE_BET_SLIP: false, AUTHOR: false, THEME: "light", TOURNAMENT_ORDER: "pulse_nigeria", LINK_OPTIONS_V2: { 'player' : { 'url': '/football/player/{playerId}' }, 'team' : { 'url': '/football/{teamId}' }, 'tournament': { 'url': '/football/competition/{tournamentId}' }, 'match': { 'url' : '/football/match/{matchId}', 'sort': { 'criteria': 'alphabetically', 'direction': 'asc' } }, 'configuration': { 'newWindow': false }, 'standings_tournament': { 'url': '/football/competition/{tournamentId}/standings' } } }; if (!document.querySelector('script[src="https://widgets.sportal365.com/loader.bundle.min.js"]')) { window.setTimeout(function () { let scriptCss = document.createElement('link'); scriptCss.href = 'https://www.pulsesports.co.ke/css/sport-widgets.css?v=1668785443'; scriptCss.rel = 'stylesheet'; scriptCss.type = 'text/css'; document.body.appendChild(scriptCss); let scriptTag = document.createElement('script'); scriptTag.src = 'https://widgets.sportal365.com/loader.bundle.min.js'; scriptTag.defer = true; scriptTag.onload = function () { window.setTimeout(function () { new SMPWidgetsLoader(widgetLoaderConfig); }, 200); }; document.head.appendChild(scriptTag); }, 0); } else { new SMPWidgetsLoader(widgetLoaderConfig); }

However, the club’s disappointing exit in the quarterfinals of the Champions League saw the club supporters question his commitment to the club, months after he lifted the World Cup with Argentina in Qatar.

And reports suggest the PSG star could be edging closer to a return to Barcelona.

6. PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi is furious with Lionel Messi

Lionel Messi suspension PSG
Nasser Al-Khelaifi is reportedly furious with Lionel Messi over his unauthorized Saudi trip

Reports from the French media say that the PSG president slammed his fist on the table after Messi travelled without formal authorisation.

The Qatari boss who is still under investigation over allegations of kidnap reportedly re-iterated that ‘no player is above the club’.

7. Lionel Messi will miss 2 of the last 5 games for PSG in the league

Lionel Messi suspension PSG
Lionel Messi will miss PSG's next two games

Messi’s suspension now means he will miss PSG’s match away at Troyes on Sunday, May 7, before they play hosts to Ajaccio the following week.

However, he could be available for the remaining final three matches of the 2022/23 Ligue 1 season as the Qatari-owned club aim to win their 11th championship title.

Related content