Is Messi’s European reign coming to an end?

The confirmation that Lionel Messi will play his last game for Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) on Saturday possibly brings an end to the Argentine superstar’s nearly two-decade reign in European football. Having conquered every summit in the game in an unparalleled career, the world faces the possibility of Messi spending the twilight of his journey outside Europe. It’s an opportunity for us to look back at his distinguished club career.

Barcelona years – Wonderkid to megastar

Prodigy. Little magician. Boy wonder. All of these superlatives were apt for Messi right from the time that he walked into La Masia, Barcelona’s youth academy, in the early 2000s. Gifted with all the talent in the world, Messi went on to carve an extraordinary legacy in Catalonia that is unlikely to ever be surpassed. There was not a record he did not break, no trophy he did not win during a 17-year stint. There was a time when you couldn’t envisage Messi without Barcelona, nor Barcelona without Messi.

In all, he made 778 appearances and scored 672 goals for Barcelona across all competitions, both of which are records for the Catalan giants. In La Liga, he racked up 474 goals in 520 appearances.

The Argentine made his first-team debut for the club in 2003 at the age of 16 and soon became a regular feature in the starting 11, occupying that right flank and cutting in with that wand of a left foot under the managerial reign of Frank Rijkaard. At the time, he was playing a supporting role to the likes of superstars Ronaldinho and Samuel Eto’o.

That changed when Pep Guardiola took charge in the summer of 2008, marking the beginning of Messi’s path to become the world’s best footballer. Under Guardiola, he took a more central position with the freedom to roam where he liked, becoming the fulcrum of the “tiki-taka” revolution that dazzled the footballing world.

PSG years – The blunt trident

After a sloppy end to his illustrious career at Barcelona, Messi joined PSG in August 2021 on a two-year deal with an option for an extra year. The attacking troika of Messi, Neymar and Kylian Mbappe was a mouth-watering prospect on paper. But for the first time in his career, Messi appeared to have teething troubles in getting accustomed to his surroundings. After PSG were eliminated by Real Madrid in the Champions League Round of 16, he and Neymar were even booed by some PSG fans in a league match against Bordeaux. By the end of the season, his goal tally in the league had failed to reach double figures for the first time since 2005-06.

The 2022-23 season was markedly better for the Argentine, scoring 16 goals in 31 league appearances. That he won the coveted World Cup for Argentina in the middle of the campaign was an unmatched high, of course.

Most prolific season: 2011/12

For a major part of his Barcelona career, it was routine for Messi to score at least a goal every game. Even by his exalted standards though, the 2011/12 season was one of extraordinary returns. His tally for the season read 73 goals in 60 games, which is a ratio of 1.21 goals per game. Messi scored 50 goals in the La Liga that season — a record that is likely to stand the test of time.

Ironically, however, Barcelona didn’t enjoy a very successful season. They neither won the La Liga nor the Champions League, settling instead for just the Copa del Rey.

Trophies won

At Barcelona, there’s no trophy that Messi did not lift. While many good players have graced the beautiful game, greatness is eventually gauged by the number of trophies in the cabinet. On this count, Messi is absolutely peerless. He won 10 La Liga titles and four Champions League titles. He also won the Copa del Rey – Spain’s primary cup competition – seven times. He won the Uefa Super Cup and the Fifa Club World Cup thrice each.

His stint at PSG predictably wasn’t as fruitful. Even though he won the French league in 2021/22 and 2022/23, the Champions League crown eluded PSG’s galaxy of stars.