The impact of superstar’s move to PSG on both clubs, and on him

As United States international Brenden Aaronson struck a surprise winner for FC Salzburg in a friendly against Barcelona in Austria on Aug. 4, 2021, Barca president Joan Laporta’s activity on his phone alerted the other members of the club’s travelling delegation to an issue. Less than 24 hours later, the nature of Laporta’s frenzied calls became clear as the Catalan club made the announcement that rocked football: Lionel Messi was leaving.

Messi, 34 at the time, spent 20 years at Barcelona after arriving from Argentina as a teenager. During that time, he became the club’s record appearance holder and top scorer, scoring 672 times in 778 games. He won four Champions League and 11 LaLiga titles, and was named the best player in the world on six occasions (and for a seventh time since leaving.) Barca without Messi was unthinkable; Messi playing in another club’s shirt was unimaginable.

Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong, who was collecting family from the airport, didn’t believe the news when he heard it. Striker Sergio Aguero, who had only just signed for Barca, partly on the premise of playing with his long-time friend Messi, was with Spanish Twitch streamer Ibai Llanos when the news broke, and like De Jong, he refused to believe it too. He even thought Barca’s website had been hacked. Still in denial, Aguero then believed it must be a tactic to convince LaLiga to let Barca register Messi given his importance to Spanish football.

As it turned out, it was neither of those things. Barca, in €1.35 billion of debt following years of overspending and the financial ramifications of the COVID-19 pandemic, simply could not afford to give Messi a new contract and had to let him go to French side Paris Saint-Germain on a free transfer.

In the year since, the move has made a big mark on his former club in Spain and his new club in France, while Messi’s future after the 2022-23 season looks cloudier than ever, too. His contract with PSG expires on June 30, 2023,…