FC Barcelona

Barcelona didn't miss Lionel Messi in its first match of the 2021-22 La Liga season, earning a 4-2 win over Real Sociedad.

Martin Braithwaite scored two goals for the home team at Camp Nou on Sunday, matching his scoring total for all of last season. The forward then helped close things out with an assist to Sergi Roberto in extra time, sealing the win after Real Sociedad created drama with two late goals.

Even with some nervy moments in the closing minutes, it was a well-deserved victory for the Spanish giants.

The match was a start of a new era for Barcelona without Messi, who spent 17 years with the club while winning four Champions League trophies and 10 league titles. The club was unable to keep him this summer due to financial restrictions, and he signed with Paris Saint-Germain on a free transfer last week.

Manager Ronald Koeman is looking to keep the club's same level of success without the superstar, and the first competitive match represented a good start.

Barcelona mostly controlled the action from the opening kickoff, finishing with 62 percent possession while getting eight shots on goal compared to just three from Real Sociedad.

After some close chances early, Gerard Pique was the first on the scoresheet with a header off a set piece:

Just before halftime, Frenkie de Jong set up Braithwaite for another Barcelona goal:

Even without Messi, Barca showed its talent with sharp passing and an attacking mindset.

The 2-0 lead at halftime was well-earned with nearly everyone on the pitch playing well:

New addition Memphis Depay did well in his attempt to fill in at striker. He assisted Pique on the free-kick and caused a lot of problems for Real Sociedad while beating defenders and drawing fouls. Even if he didn't score, the transfer from Lyon made his presence felt and showcased his upside heading into the season.

In the 59th minute, Braithwaite came through again to earn his brace on a rebound following a shot by Jordi Alba.

The final goal came on a counterattack as Braithwaite crossed to Roberto for an easy tap-in in the 91st minute.

This helped ease some concerns from the home supporters, who saw a 3-0 lead almost evaporate with two quick goals by Real Sociedad. Neto was barely challenged in net until Julen Lobete fired one past him in the 82nd minute.

The visitors then cut the margin again in the 85th minute on an excellent free kick by Mikel Oyarzabal:

It simply wasn't enough for the underdogs to get a result in the opening match of the league season.

Barcelona will be on the road next match against Athletic Bilbao on Saturday. Real Sociedad will host Rayo Vallecano on Sunday. 

Barcelona club legend Lionel Messi gave a tearful press conference Sunday, saying he is not ready to leave Camp Nou.

"The truth is I don't know what to say," Messi told reporters. "In these last few days, I have been thinking, giving lots of thought to what I would say. The truth is that I can't think of anything. This is really difficult for me after so many years, being here my entire life. I'm not ready for this."

He added, "I hope I can come back and be part of this club in any way, to help this club be the best in the world."

His comments come after Barcelona released a statement Thursday saying it couldn't finalize a new contract with him because of "financial and structural obstacles" related to La Liga's financial regulations:

"As a result of this situation, Messi shall not be staying on at FC Barcelona. Both parties deeply regret that the wishes of the player and the club will ultimately not be fulfilled. FC Barcelona wholeheartedly expresses its gratitude to the player for his contribution to the aggrandisement of the club and wishes him all the very best for the future in his personal and professional life."

Messi became a free agent July 1 with the conclusion of his previous contract. The six-time Ballon d'Or winner agreed to a new deal with Barca in mid-July that included a "significant wage reduction," per ESPN's Sam Marsden and Moises Llorens. It couldn't immediately be registered with La Liga, though.

Barcelona President Joan Laporta noted at the start of Messi's foray into free agency the club would need to work through some financial logistics to get the deal officially on its books.

"I know that Leo wants to stay. Talks have been going well, and we are making every effort to ensure that he stays," Laporta said on El Transistor (via AS). "We have to fit in with Financial Fair Play rules. There are a lot of alternatives, and we are studying all of them."

Messi seemed content letting the club work through the behind-the-scenes issues as he won the 2021 Copa America title with Argentina on July 10 and then went on holiday ahead of the 2021-22 season.

Instead, Barca made the shock announcement that his decorated tenure with the club is over. Messi admitted signing with Paris Saint-Germain is a possibility but said nothing is finalized.

"That is one possibility [PSG]. There's nothing closed at the moment, but we're talking about a lot of things. After Barca's statement, a lot of clubs showed an interest. But nothing final, although there are talks, of course," Messi said.

However, ESPN's Sam Marsden and Julien Laurens later reported Messi agreed to a two-year contract with PSG, which could become official later this week.

Marsden and Laurens added, "Sources added that Messi is expected to travel to Paris on Sunday before completing a medical in the coming days and signing a two-year deal with the option for a third season. He could be presented at an event at the Eiffel Tower in the coming days."

The never-finalized contract with Barca had represented a change of heart for the 34-year-old forward, who appeared to have one foot out of Camp Nou last year before a disputed contract clause led him to stay.

Last September, he told Goal's Ruben Uria that previous Barca President Josep Maria Bartomeu decided to enforce a €700 million release clause that made a move "impossible."

"I thought and was sure that I was free to leave. The president always said that at the end of the season I could decide if I stayed or not," Messi said. "Now they cling to the fact that I did not say it before June 10, when it turns out that on June 10 we were competing for La Liga in the middle of this awful coronavirus."

Laporta, who previously served as president from 2003 through 2010 during Messi's early years with the club, was elected back to the role in March and salvaged the relationship with the Argentine superstar, but the team couldn't work through the financial issues to re-sign him.

Messi arrived at Barcelona's famed La Masia youth academy in early 2001 and made his first-team debut in a 2003 friendly.

He proceeded to score 672 goals in 778 appearances across all official competitions for the Blaugrana while leading them to 10 La Liga championships, four Champions League titles and numerous other trophies during his two-decade tenure.

Paris Saint-Germain reportedly "feel a deal is close" with longtime Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi after initial conversations about a potential three-year contract.

ESPN's Julien Laurens reported Friday further negotiations between PSG and Messi's father Jorge, who also serves as the six-time Ballon d'Or winner's agent, are planned for no later than Monday.

Barcelona announced Thursday they wouldn't be able to re-sign Messi because of La Liga's "regulations on player registration," a sudden turn of events after it was reported in mid-July the sides reached an agreement on a new five-year deal to keep him at Camp Nou.

The 34-year-old Argentine heading to PSG could have a trickle-down effect.

His arrival would "increase the likelihood" Kylian Mbappe signs a new long-term contract with the Parisians before his current deal expires next summer and would bring an end to the club's pursuit of Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba, per Laurens.

Messi would also reunite with Neymar after spending four seasons together as teammates with Barca from 2013 through 2017.

In February 2020, the Barcelona legend told Mundo Deportivo (via ESPN) he was hopeful the Brazilian forward would eventually return to the Spanish club.

"Neymar has always been a top-level player and different to the rest," Messi said. "He is unpredictable, he takes players on and he scores lots of goals. On a sporting level Neymar is one of the best in the world and I'd love for him to come back."

While the reunion never happened at Camp Nou, it sounds possible it will occur at the Parc des Princes.

Although there was little in the way of rumors about Messi leaving Barcelona following the reports about the five-year deal, PSG kept tabs throughout the process and have been in contact with Jorge Messi for "some time," per Laurens.

Since there are a limited number of clubs with the financial flexibility to add a player of Messi's caliber, PSG may not face a ton of competition despite the fact he'd help pretty much any attack in Europe.

Messi recorded 30 goals and nine assists across 35 La Liga appearances for Barca last season. He tallied 672 goals in all competitions across 17 years with the Blaugrana.

Paris Saint-German manager Mauricio Pochettino confirmed Friday that PSG is interested in signing former Barcelona star Lionel Messi, and reports suggest the two sides are nearing an agreement entering the weekend. 

According to ESPN's Julien Laurens, Pochettino said: "Of course [signing Messi] is a possibility. The club is working on it and if there is any information we will communicate it as soon as possible."

Laurens noted that sources said PSG reached out to Messi on Thursday after Barca announced it would be unable to re-sign him because of financial issues.

Moises Llorens and Sam Marsden of ESPN reported in July that Messi and Barcelona agreed to a new five-year contract after he became a free agent.

While both sides wanted to get a deal done, Barca didn't have the financial flexibility needed to make it happen, meaning the 34-year-old legend will play elsewhere next season for the first time in his professional career.

Messi has always played under the Barcelona umbrella, as he was part of Barcelona C and Barcelona B before getting called up to the first team in 2004.

The Argentina native is unquestionably one of the greatest players of all time with 672 goals and 305 assists in 778 matches across all competitions for Barca.

Messi also won 10 La Liga titles, seven Copa del Rey titles and four UEFA Champions League titles in addition to being a six-time winner of the FIFA Ballon d'Or as the world's best player.

Given his high-profile status, Laurens noted that PSG owner Tamim bin Hamad is "eager" to sign Messi. Bin Hamad has reportedly wanted either Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo on the team since purchasing PSG in 2011.

PSG's renewed interest in Messi comes as little surprise since it was reported last summer that PSG and Manchester City were among the top suitors for Messi after he informed Barcelona he no longer wanted to play for the club.

Messi and Barcelona ultimately worked things out, but he is once again on the market, and signing him would make sense for Paris Saint-Germain on multiple fronts.

Laurens reported that signing Messi would likely convince rising star Kylian Mbappe to re-sign with the club before he becomes a free agent next summer.

Also, on the heels of finishing second to Lille in the Ligue 1 standings last season, PSG could use a talent infusion.

With Messi in the fold, PSG would be favored to return to the top of Ligue 1, and they would be major threats to win their first Champions League title as well after finishing as runners-up in 2020.

Lionel Messi officially won't return to Barcelona, the club announced Thursday:

"Despite having reached an agreement between FC Barcelona and Leo Messi and with the clear intention of both parties to sign a new contract today, it cannot be formalized due to economic and structural obstacles (Spanish LaLiga regulations)," the club said in a statement.

The club also released a tribute video to its departing legend: 

Spanish newspaper Marca initially reported talks had broken off Thursday:

Catalan radio station RAC1 (h/t Collin Millar of the Mirror) later reported Messi is "more out of Barca than ever" and he "does not like the current squad." 

Messi was a free agent this offseason after his contract with Barcelona had expired, but the two sides had reportedly agreed to a five-year extension in July featuring a significant wage reduction for the player, per Sam Marsden and Moises Llorens of ESPN.

The deal was never signed, however, as Barcelona struggled to fit the contract within its wage limit for 2021-22.

La Liga received an injection of €2.7 billion Wednesday in a deal with CVC Capital Partners, 90 percent of which will go directly to the clubs.

It was expected the additional funds would indirectly help Barcelona with its high salaries, per Llorens and Marsden. However, the club has been unable to offload high-priced players like Antoine Griezmann.

The team also made several key additions in the offseason, including Sergio Aguero, Memphis Depay and Eric Garcia. While they may have been signed as free agents, each player's salary needs to be accounted for. 

Aguero and Messi have played together for Argentina and were both on the squad that won the Copa America this summer, earning Messi his first major international trophy.

Though Barcelona finished last year just third in La Liga, these additions were expected to help boost the club heading into 2021-22 and convince Messi to remain with the organization.

The 34-year-old will instead leave after 17 years with the first team, featuring 10 La Liga titles and six Ballon d'Or awards. He made his first senior appearance as a 17-year-old in 2004-05 and went on to be named to the UEFA Team of the Year 11 different times.

There will be no shortage of clubs interested in the superstar, especially after scoring 30 goals in 35 league matches last season. Both Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain are reportedly "keeping a close eye" on the situation, according to Mundo Deportivo (h/t Freddie Pye of Sports Illustrated).

A move to Manchester City would allow Messi to rejoin manager Pep Guardiola, who coached Barcelona to two Champions League titles during his run from 2008-12. The Premier League squad lost in the UCL final last season and could use Messi to help get over the top.

PSG reached the Champions League finals two years ago and lost in the semifinals last year, but Messi could create an exciting attack with Kylian Mbappe and former Barcelona teammate Neymar.

Barcelona reportedly hope to finalize Lionel Messi's new five-year contract this week after La Liga agreed to sell 10 percent of its business to CVC Capital Partners for €2.7 billion, which will include a payment of over €250 million to Barca and Real Madrid.

ESPN's Sam Marsden and Moises Llorens reported Wednesday the cash infusion should help Barcelona and Messi wrap up contract talks that have been slowed by the league's financial rules. The Blaugrana want everything in place before they face Juventus for the Joan Gamper Trophy on Sunday.

Messi became a free agent after his previous contract expired June 30.

While he's been available to sign with any club for over a month, there's been no substantiated rumors suggesting he's sought out offers from other clubs. Instead, he helped guide Argentina to the 2021 Copa America title and has been awaiting the chance to sign his new deal with Barca.

The new contract, which will keep him at Camp Nou until he's 39 years old, includes a 50 percent salary reduction as Barcelona spread out the total value across five years to decrease the annual cost, per Sky Sports.

Messi's new deal comes after the club legend attempted to secure a transfer following the 2019-20 term.

In September, the six-time Ballon d'Or winner told Goal's Ruben Uria former Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu informed him he'd missed a June 10 deadline for a free transfer and would need a club to trigger a €700 million release clause, which made a move impossible.

"I thought and was sure that I was free to leave, the president always said that at the end of the season I could decide if I stayed or not," Messi said. "Now they cling to the fact that I did not say it before June 10, when it turns out that on June 10 we were competing for La Liga in the middle of this awful coronavirus and this disease altered all the season."

Bartomeu stepped down in October, and Joan Laporta, who previously served as president from 2003 through 2010, was elected back into the role in March and made re-signing Messi a top priority.

Barca have also signed Sergio Aguero, Memphis Depay, Emerson and Eric Garcia as they attempt to reinvigorate the squad following a disappointing 2020-21 campaign that saw the club finish third in La Liga and get eliminated in the Champions League's round of 16.

The Blaugrana are scheduled to open the new La Liga season Aug. 15 when they host Real Sociedad.

A photo of Lionel Messi with the Copa America trophy is now the most-liked sports photo in Instagram history, per Adriana Garcia of ESPN.

The Barcelona star posted the photo on his account last Sunday after Argentina's victory over Brazil in the Copa American finals. It gave Messi the first major trophy of his international career.

"What a beautiful madness! This is unbelievable!" Messi wrote in the caption (translated by Garcia). "Thank you, God! We are the champions."

Fans have responded in a big way, with the post now topping 20 million likes.

It breaks the previous mark of most likes for an Instagram post, previously held by rival Cristiano Ronaldo. The Portuguese superstar has more than 19.8 million likes for his post honoring the late Diego Maradona in November 2020:

Ronaldo is the most popular individual account on Instagram with more than 315 million followers, but Messi's fans still showed their appreciation for a big moment in the player's career.

Barcelona and club legend Lionel Messi have reportedly finalized an agreement on a new five-year contract to bring him back to the Camp Nou after he became a free agent July 1, according to Moises Llorens and Sam Marsden of ESPN.

Llorens and Marsden noted the forward will take a "significant wage reduction," while Adam Shergold of the Daily Mail reported the pay cut could be up to 50 percent to remain at the club.

The new contract also reportedly has a termination clause of £320 million ($444 million).

Messi's historic Barca career nearly came to a close last year, as he told Goal's Ruben Uria in September he'd informed then-president Josep Maria Bartomeu of his intention to leave before the club decided to enforce a disputed contract clause and uphold a €700 million ($827 million) buyout fee, which made it "impossible."

"I thought and was sure that I was free to leave; the president always said that at the end of the season I could decide if I stayed or not," Messi said. "Now they cling to the fact that I did not say it before June 10, when it turns out that on June 10 we were competing for La Liga in the middle of this awful coronavirus."

The 34-year-old continued to pace the Barcelona attack during the 2020-21 season, scoring 38 goals in 47 matches across all competitions, and Joan Laporta was elected as club's president for a second time, previously filling the role from 2003 through 2013.

Laporta's return was a "major factor" for the six-time Ballon d'Or winner, who became "more open to staying throughout the course of the last year," per Marsden and Llorens.

Along with the return of Messi, the Blaugrana have upgraded the squad during the summer transfer window with the arrivals of fellow Argentine Sergio Aguero and Memphis Depay, among others.

The changes were necessary after Barcelona failed to reach their main goals last term, finishing third in La Liga and getting knocked out of the Champions League in the round of 16.

Messi may still leave the club to finish his storied career elsewhere, but he continues to produce at an elite level and it makes sense for him to remain with Barca for as long as that remains the case.

Barcelona stars Antoine Griezmann and Ousmane Dembele each apologized after videos recently surfaced of the two mocking Asian people during a 2019 preseason tour in Japan.

As The Athletic noted, one video took place as hotel staff members attempted to fix a television set while Dembele is heard questioning their "backward language" and asking, "Are you technologically advanced in your country or not?" A second video showed Griezmann shouting in an accent using the words "Ching chong."

"I have always engaged against all forms of discrimination," Griezmann said on Twitter (translated by The Athletic). "For a couple of days now some people want to pass me for a man that I am not. I completely refute the accusations against me and I am sorry if I have offended my Japanese friends."

Dembele also released a statement regarding the video:

Recently, a private video from 2019 has been circulating on social networks. The scene happens to be in Japan. It could have taken place anywhere on the planet, I would have used the same expressions.

So I wasn't targeting any community. I sometimes use these kinds of expressions in private, with friends, regardless of their origin. This video is now public. I can therefore imagine that it could have offended the people present in these images. Therefore, I offer them my most sincere apologies.

There has not yet been any announcement about potential punishment for either player, per ESPN.

Griezmann and Dembele are teammates both at Barcelona and for the France national team. The forwards were both on the Euro 2020 roster for France as the favorites suffered a disappointing early exit in the Round of 16.