PSG suspends Lionel Messi for two weeks without pay for unauthorised trip to Saudi Arabia

Lionel Messi (Source: Twitter)

Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) star Lionel Messi has been suspended by the club for taking a personal promotional trip to Saudi Arabia without permission. Messi's two-year contract with PSG expires this summer, and strains between the French club and the Argentine icon have now risen, as he has been suspended for two weeks without pay.

The straightforward action to the six-time Ballon D'or winner shows that nobody is more important than the club. "He cannot train, cannot play, and will not be paid while disciplinary measures are in place," a source with knowledge of the matter told AFP on Tuesday.

Messi is understood to have postponed a commercial trip to Saudi Arabia twice due to his team's defeats. The 35-year-old reportedly asked PSG for permission to travel to the country, but the club refused. However, the PSG forward violated the rule by travelling on Sunday night, and as a result, the Paris-based club suspended him following a day of meetings between the club's hierarchy.

The Argentina skipper will therefore miss PSG's next two matches against Troyes and Ajaccio in Ligue 1. Messi left for the Middle East following his team's 3-1 home loss to Lorient on Sunday.

Messi, who returned to Paris on Tuesday night, missed a training session on Monday, and a source with knowledge of the matter said that the 2022 World Cup winner would not attend training on Wednesday either.

Can Barcelona bring back Messi to their lineup?

The strict disciplinary measures make it much more unlikely that Messi will stay at PSG after his two-year deal expires at the end of this season. The former Barcelona striker arrived in the French capital in 2021 but has struggled to produce his best form for his new club, scoring 31 goals in 71 appearances.

The Spanish club have already begun efforts to bring Messi back into their squad this summer, talking to LaLiga about creating more flexibility in their Financial Fair Play ratio. They are in talks with the league over their spending cap for next season and, if all goes well, what could be Messi's last year in European football will be in Spain.

PSG, who currently tops the Ligue 1 table with 75 points in 33 games, has been eliminated from both the French Cup and the Champions League.