FC Barcelona’s Lionel Messi and Ousmane Dembele during a match against Sevilla on February 23, 2019. Soccrates | Getty Images | Eric Verhoeven Lionel Messi has verbally agreed to a five-year contract extension with Barcelona, with his income set to be cut in half under the new terms. After failing to reach an agreement on a contract renewal before his previous Barcelona deal expired on June 30, the six-time Ballon d’Or winner became a free agent on July 1. Messi had previously led Argentina to the Copa America title with a 1-0 win against hosts Brazil in the final, ending his quest for his first major international prize. The 34-year-old has committed to continue with his home club for another five years, making him 39 by the time his current contract expires, giving him a total of 26 years with the club. In August of last year, Messi caused an acrimonious transfer row when he formally told the club of his desire to exercise a clause in his contract that would have allowed him to go for free. However, La Liga president Javier Tebas and Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu blocked the transaction, stating that the clause was only valid until June 10 and that any suitor would have to pay the full EUR700 million release clause. Messi told Goal, “I thought and we were sure that I’d be a free agent.” “The president always told me that I could stay or go at the end of the season, and they’re now clinging to the fact that I didn’t say anything by June 10, when it turns out that the La Liga season was still going on at the time, and we were in the midst of this virus and illness that disrupted the entire fixture calendar.” And that’s why I’m staying. I’m here now because the president informed me the only way out was to pay the EUR700 million release clause, which is impossible.” Messi wanted to hear his successor Joan Laporta’s intentions before making a decision about his future, thus Bartomeu resigned in October. Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain have been the front-runners for his signature. Messi also hopes to play in Major League Soccer one day./n
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