San Francisco Chronicle

Messi staying put with Barcelona deal

-

Lionel Messi will play out the best remaining years of his trophy-rich career at Barcelona.

The Spanish club said Wednesday that Messi had agreed a three-year contract extension that will keep him at the club through the 2020-21 season. By then, Barcelona’s all-time leading scorer will be 34 years old and finishing his 17th season with the club.

No other terms were announced.

“This is a message that the union between Messi and Barca will continue until the end of his career,” Barcelona President Josep Bartomeu said.

Messi repeatedly has said he wanted to play the best years of his career at Barcelona, before perhaps making a return to his native Argentina.

Messi, 30, has establishe­d himself as one of the best to play the game. He has won the FIFA World Player of the Year award five times, and is the Spanish league’s all-time leading scorer. He has a club-record 507 goals in 583 matches for Barcelona.

Powering up: Arsenal signaled its intention to make an immediate return to the Premier League’s elite by paying a club-record $68 million transfer fee to sign Lyon striker Alexandre Lacazette, 26, one of Europe’s most prolific players in recent years.

The amount exceeds the estimated $56.8 million that Arsenal paid to Real Madrid for playmaker Mesut Ozil in 2013. MLS: Sebastian Blanco scored in the 70th minute and the host Portland Timbers salvaged a 2-2 draw against the surging Chicago Fire. The Fire (11-3-4) are undefeated in 11 games, winning nine times . ... Sebastian Giovinco scored twice and set up Jozy Altidore’s goal to help Toronto FC beat host Orlando City 3-1 . ... Gonzalo Veron scored in the 90th minute to give the New York Red Bulls a 3-2 victory over the host New England Revolution . ... Andrew Wenger scored in the first minute against his former team to start the host Houston Dynamo to a 3-1 win over the Montreal Impact, snapping a four-game winless streak . ... Yordy Reyna scored on a header in the 88th minute to give the Vancouver Whitecaps a 3-2 victory over visiting New York City FC.

 ?? Daniel Ochoa de Olza / Associated Press ?? Lionel Messi, an eight-time Spanish league champion with Barcelona, is staying with the club until at least 2021.
Daniel Ochoa de Olza / Associated Press Lionel Messi, an eight-time Spanish league champion with Barcelona, is staying with the club until at least 2021.

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from United States