:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/69698367/1234577406.0.jpg)
Good morning, Fear the Wall.
Lionel Messi is the greatest footballer I’ve ever watched play. I don’t think many people alive today realize just how lucky we are to have been able to watch him day after day. For the past 15+ years he has made the footballing world better with his unimaginable talent, and he led his club FC Barcelona, the club that raised him to legendary status, to glory again and again. Unfortunately, the club could not hold up their end of the bargain, and a series of bad sporting decisions has led to a crossroads where Messi’s continued employment in Barcelona is no longer possible.
While some people have hypothesized that the recent rift between club and player is a mere ploy by the Catalans to induce the Spanish Government and/or La Liga into changing their rules for the coming season, but with this weekend’s “festivities”, that no longer seems like a plausible scenario. Lionel Messi had a farewell dinner at his home with many other Barca legends including Gerard Pique and Sergio Busquets, and held an emotional farewell press conference that will probably tug at your heartstrings.
All the signs indicate that Messi will move to Paris Saint-Germain to play under Mauricio Pochettino, alongside his old friend Neymar and Kylian Mbappe, one of the players most likely to secede Messi as the best player in the world. PSG are probably the only club in the world that could afford his massive contract demands. Such a transfer obviously makes PSG one of the favorites to win the Champions League, and a must-watch on weekends. Get your Bein subscriptions now, folks.
BVB Frauen Dominate
The Borussia Dortmund Women’s Team played their first semi-formal match yesterday, in a friendly against 1860 Munich. Julia will probably cover it more in-depth in her hive update, but if you’re interested the highlights are available on YouTube here:
The Daily Buzz
What’s your favorite memory involving Messi’s career with Barcelona?