THIS COULD GET MESSI Messi, Neymar and Mbappe ... it’s the most lethal forward combination in football, so strap yourself in as Paris St Germain gets set to unleash this powerhouse trio
HE’S the biggest name in football – and on Monday, Lionel Messi will take the first step towards securing his legacy as one of the greats of the world game.
So much has been written about the Argentinian striker’s move from Spanish giant Barcelona to his new powerhouse club Paris Saint-germain, leaving his home of 21 years, Barca, now mired in enormous debt.
But Messi’s free-agency move is not just about the money. He’s more than halved his salary to join his new club in the French capital, where he will play alongside former Barca teammate and Brazilian great Neymar and French star Kylian Mbappe.
The trio could make their first appearance together on Monday, when PSG faces 12th-placed Reims, and the world gets its first look at the most formidable forward line in world football.
In a major coup for Australian football fans, Messi’s likely debut will be streamed live and free via bein SPORTS on Kayo Freebies.
Sports fans can access Kayo Freebies by downloading the Kayo Sports app or visiting www.kayosports.com.au/freebies and registering for a Freebies account.
“Lionel Messi is one of the greatest footballers of all time and undoubtedly the biggest star of the world game at the moment,” Fox Sports executive director Steve Crawley said.
“The combination of Messi, Neymar and Mbappe makes this PSG team truly unmissable.
“We are excited that Australian sports fans can watch them in action through bein SPORT’S coverage of Ligue 1 on Foxtel and Kayo, with Messi’s first game also streaming free on Kayo Freebies.
“In addition to Ligue 1, we have an incredibly strong international football offering across Foxtel and Kayo, including Serie A, La Liga, Bundesliga and Major League Soccer through our partners at bein SPORTS and ESPN.”
But while the world gets its first look at the most formidable club trio in the game on Monday, for Messi, his move to PSG is all about the Champions League.
He won 35 trophies during his twodecade stint in Barcelona, but there is one he covets most.
“For me on a personal level, I would love to win another Champions League, like I’ve said in previous years, and I think I’ve come to the ideal place that’s ready for that,” Messi told CNN.
“We have the same goals. It’s got impressive players, one of the best squads in the world and, hopefully, we can achieve that goal which Paris wants so much, I want so much, and hopefully we can enjoy it with the people of Paris, too.
“Sometimes you can have the best team in the world and not win. That’s football.
“We know how difficult the Champions League is, but Paris know that, too. They have come very close in recent years, but it is a competition in which the best teams take part – and the best team doesn’t always win.”
Messi is seen as the final piece of a puzzle for PSG, which was eliminated in the semi-finals last year by Manchester City.
PSG’S path to Champions League glory was laid out on Friday when it was drawn in the same group as Pep Guardiola’s City, along with Germany’s RB Leipzig and Belgian champion Club Brugge.
There is now talk that Portuguese forward Cristiano Ronaldo could move to Abu Dhabi-owned City from Juventus before the European transfer window closes on Tuesday, once again pitting two football giants against each other on the game’s biggest stage.
“It is special, Manchester City are one of the best teams in Europe and have been fighting to win the Champions League for 10 years,” PSG coach Mauricio Pochettino said.
“The challenge is to try to finish first in the group.”