A pleasant trip to Saudi Arabia proved to be troublesome for the Word Cup winner Lionel Messi, as he got suspended by the Paris Saint-Germain for a period of two weeks. While Leo was having a gala time with his family and sharing his experience in the country, he was charged with his punishment for his trip by the club.
So, it is time to go deep into the story to find out the reasons why Messi was suspended.
Why was Lionel Messi Suspended?
Lionel Messi has been suspended without pay for two weeks by PSG after visiting Saudi Arabia without permission 😳 pic.twitter.com/nGyzJoDpAT
— GOAL (@goal) May 2, 2023
Lionel Messi is a professional footballer who hails from Argentina and currently plays for Ligue 1 club Paris Saint-Germain. The footballer signed a two-year contract with the club which is about to end this summer.
Messi serves as the tourism ambassador of Saudi Arabia and asked for permission from PSG to allow him to visit the country. The PSG player had to attend a commercial trip to the country which he had already postponed two times in the past. But the club didn’t give him permission and this is how things started becoming intense.
Not giving an ear to the club’s refusal, the seven times Ballon d’Or winner flew to Saudi with the rest of his family. He was seen posting pictures of himself and his family on his social media account from Riyadh, the capital of the country.
Followed by Messi’s visit to Arabia, its tourism minister welcomed the footballer through a tweet on his account where he said, ‘”I am happy to welcome Messi and his family to Saudi to enjoy the magical tourist destinations and authentic experiences,”.
I am happy to welcome #Messi and his family to Saudi to enjoy the magical tourist destinations and authentic experiences.
— Ahmed Al Khateeb أحمد الخطيب (@AhmedAlKhateeb) May 1, 2023
We welcome visitors from all around the world to experience a unique trip to Saudi Arabia and its hospitality. 🇸🇦#WelcomeMessi pic.twitter.com/QQGdnAqQ08
However, as a consequence of traveling without the permission of the club, the Argentinian player is suspended for two weeks and will not be taking part in games during that time. But PSG itself didn’t open up with any official comment over the issue.
Both Saudi Arabian club Al Hilal and Barcelona are in the queue to sign Messi in post-summer contracts. So, it remains to be seen who gets the ultimate opportunity to take Leo home. However, whatever the case, the footballer’s fans probably just want to see him playing on the ground.
