Lionel Messi has assisted 16 goals in 32 matches in the Ligue 1 2022/2023 season and he also has scored 16 goals.
Messi’s time at PSG may be over, but he is still racking up the awards. The former Barcelona forward won the Ligue 1 title during both of his seasons with Les Parisiens. He has now also been awarded best foreign player of the season.
La Pulga registered the most assists of any player in Ligue 1 last season with Neymar following closely behind with 13. Nine players (Kylian Mbappé, Alexandre Lacazette, Jonathan David, Loïs Openda, Folarin Balogun, Habib Diallo, Wissam Ben Yedder, Elye Wahi and Terem Moffi) outscored Messi.
Despite some impressive statistics for PSG last season, the club fell short of their objectives collectively. Les Parisiens retained their Ligue 1 title but suffered early exits in the Champions League and Coupe de France. Messi won neither competition with PSG and has opted to join MLS side Inter Miami upon the expiry of his contract.
Messi scored 32 goals in 75 matches across all competitions during his two seasons with PSG, having signed from Barcelona in 2021.
But despite helping the club to win back-to-back league titles, he was unable to inspire them to a first Champions League triumph.
In May, Messi was suspended for two weeks by PSG after taking an unauthorised two-day trip to Saudi Arabia as part of his ambassadorial duties for the country.
After an apology, Messi returned to Christophe Galtier’s squad but his departure was confirmed a few days later.
Messi was back in his hometown of Rosario over the weekend for a testimonial game for ex-teammate Maxi Rodriguez before doing the same for Juan Roman Riquelme in Buenos Aires.
‘It is a very nice feeling to have been able to be at [Riquelme’s] testimonial, with all that he means for football in Argentina, what he means to Boca, to be once again in ‘La Bombonera’, Messi told Argentinian Public Television, via Goal.
‘Now there will be a few days of vacation and then I will start in my new city, my new club, I am very excited.’
Messi scored a first half hat-trick in the hometown appearance as 42,000 watched on and sang ‘happy birthday’ after he turned 36 Saturday.
Inter Miami appeared to tease Messi’s new shirt number in an Instagram post celebrating his birthday.
The team tagged Messi in an Instagram graphic saying ‘Feliz Cumple’ – Spanish for ‘happy birthday’ with the ‘le’ at the end painted to look like the number ’10’.
-Allfootball
