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Paris Saint-Germain president Nasser Al-Khelaifi joined Lionel Messi for his first official press conference at the club and spoke candidly about the club's capture of the Argentine. The 34-year-old joined the Ligue 1 giants on a free transfer in what is sure to go down as one of the most iconic moments in the history of the sport.
Speaking of PSG's capture of Lionel Messi, Al-Khelaifi referred to the moment as "historic" and went on to thank everyone involved for completing a deal of such seismic proportions.
"We are very happy to present Lionel Messi as a PSG player. This is historic for the club and the football world. Everyone knows Lionel Messi - he is the only player with 6 Ballon d'Or awards and he makes football magic - he's a winner. It will be exciting for all our supporters and the fans worldwide."
"When we started our project 10 years ago, people wondered what we were gonna do. We are very proud of what we are today. There was a great desire between both sides to make this happen, so I want to thank Lionel Messi, his wife, his father and my team for making this happen."
"This is just the start and the hard work will start now, first of all on the pitch. Lionel Messi has won a lot of trophies and I'm sure he can bring us a lot of trophies as well. We have an amazing coach and a fantastic squad. Officially, I welcome Lionel Messi to the PSG family. You will be very happy in Paris!"
Lionel Messi could make PSG debut this weekend
Despite only being officially announced as a PSG player a few hours ago, Lionel Messi could make his debut for the club against Strasbourg this weekend. Reports suggest the Argentine has indicated that he wants to be in the squad, but only time will tell if manager Mauricio Pochettino includes him in the matchday squad for the game.
When asked about his move to the French capital, Lionel Messi revealed that he can't wait to start training with his new teammates.
"Everyone knows that my exit from Barcelona was very hard, but I’m very happy to come here and can’t wait to start training and join my team-mates."
In what went down as one of the most unexpected moves in football history, the Argentine has officially swapped Barcelona for PSG. Only time will tell if he can cement his legacy as one of the all-time greats and add more silverware to his glittering trophy cabinet.
