Inter Miami – and Lionel Messi, in particular – may have exited the FIFA Club World Cup at the hands of Luis Enrique’s Paris Saint-Germain in a 4-0 defeat, but the Argentine is reportedly set to earn a substantial sum from former club Barcelona, who he played 778 times for, by virtue of an agreement made five years ago.
The reigning Champions League winners secured passage into the next round of the Stateside showpiece on Sunday – with goals from Joao Neves, Achraf Hakimi and an own goal from Tomas Aviles ending Messi’s dreams of lifting more silverware.
Messi, an eight-time Ballon d’Or winner, was understandably frustrated after his side’s 4-0 loss to PSG, but news that he’s set to receive a financial windfall will definitely manage to soften the blow that he and the Herons suffered in Atlanta on the weekend.
Rosario-born Messi, 38, grew up with Barcelona coursing through his veins but, in 2021, he ended his long association with the Spanish heavyweights by moving to PSG when his contract expired – but they are still paying him, despite the fact that the seasoned forward is playing his football elsewhere.
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Messi Set for Financial Windfall from Barcelona
Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba, too, set to receive payments
A year prior to leaving, the 2022 World Cup winner – widely regarded as one of the greatest footballers of all time – came to an agreement with Barcelona that he would defer the payment of his lofty contract; and he’s now set to receive the final payment.
As reported by Culemania, via Spanish outlet Diario AS, Messi is set to receive the final payment – believed to be around the €5.95 million mark – on June 30 as Barcelona look to settle their debt.
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Some fans have been left baffled by the decision.
Upon returning to sun-soaked Miami, Messi’s attention will turn to Major League Soccer (MLS), where they have four games in hand over plenty of their rivals. As things stand, they are sixth in the Eastern Conference with 29 points.
That said, Messi is not the only player that will benefit – both Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba, two players who also left the Camp Nou outfit in recent years, are also set to receive their final payments of €1.18 million and €943,879, respectively.
It’s been claimed that Barcelona, once the final payment has gone through, would have outlayed a full amount of £41 million (€47.6 million) to their former superstar. Inter Miami players aside, there are a few more ex-Barcelona stars who find themselves in similar situations today.
Given the financial difficulties they’ve faced over the years, La Blaugrana struck agreements with the likes of Atletico Madrid’s Antoine Griezmann, Ballon d’Or-chasing Ousmane Dembele and Philippe Coutinho of Vasco da Gama too.
Ibrahimovic Praised Messi's Club World Cup Performance
Despite not being able to get the trophy over the line for David Beckham-owned Inter Miami, Zlatan Ibrahimovic noted how Messi 'didn't lose'. Instead, the former Sweden talisman believed that he was let down by his teammates. Per FootMercato, he said:
"Leo Messi didn’t lose, Inter Miami did! Messi is playing with statues, not teammates. He’s surrounded by players who run as if they’re carrying bags of cement! If he were in a real team, in any big team, you’d see the real lion. Messi plays only because he loves the game, because he can still do what 99% of players cannot!"
"There are no coaches, no stars, not even players who understand how to move without the ball," 43-year-old Ibrahimovic, Messi's Barcelona teammate on 43 occasions, said. "This is not the Messi I know. If you put him in a real team, he’ll still set the stadium on fire!”