Chrisophe Galtier, the head coach of Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), confirmed on Thursday that Lionel Messi would be leaving the team before the summer is out.
"I had the privilege of coaching the best player in the history of football,” Galtier told reporters. “This will be his last match at the Parc des Princes, and I hope that he will receive the warmest of welcomes.
"This year, he has been an important part of the team, always available. I don't think any of the comments or criticisms are justified. He's always been there for the team. It's been a great privilege to accompany him throughout the season,” Galtier added.
His remarks came ahead of the team’s final Ligue 1 game of the season, against Clermont Foot.
Messi, 35, has formed part of a devastating trio of star players at PSG alongside Kylian Mbappe and Neymar, contributing 21 goals and 20 assists this season. In all, Messi has given PSG 34 goals and 35 assists across 74 games.
On Saturday, he scored his 496th goal in Europe's top five leagues, surpassing Christiano Ronaldo's record of 495 goals.
Rumors persist that Messi’s next stop will be Al Hilal SFC, based in the Saudi Arabian capital of Riyadh. Al Hilal is the city rival of Al Nassr - Ronaldo’s team. Last month, PSG suspended him for an unauthorized trip to the Arab state, where he has a commercial contract to promote tourism.
However, rumors also say he may go elsewhere; perhaps back to Barcelona, where he spent the majority of his career, or to the United States to play Major League Soccer. So far, the star player has made no public comment on the topic.