Watch: Lionel Messi’s award-winning assist to Mbappe for PSG
Lionel Messi’s move to PSG can be regarded as a diverse one as the Argentine is racking up assists despite undergoing his ‘worst’ season ever. His performances have indeed been underwhelming compared to what he cooked up at Barcelona. However, he has assisted 10 goals in the ‘below-par’ season and ranks joint first for the most assists in Ligue 1. Moreover, he was honored by Ligue 1 for the best assist of the year.
Barcelona and Messi parted ways in August which created a huge whirl. It shook everyone because it was a move no one anticipated. Messi was a La Masia product and being at the club for almost two decades made everyone believe that his fairytale journey would also be concluded there. As a matter of fact, that was the path before the poor financial situation diverted it.
Lionel Messi’s award-winning assist
The club’s journey under Josep Bartomeu had been lavish. Barcelona was signing many players who cost them a lot, both financially and in performance. They were deepening their debt and things escalated once the pandemic hit. With the main source of income shut for two years, big clubs struggled a lot. But the one affected the most was Barcelona.
Their condition was so bad that all the players had to take a pay cut. Lionel Messi was running out of contract in the summer of 2021, and despite all their efforts, they could not hand him a new contract. His departure was an emotional one as the player had to say goodbye in the most unanticipated way.
His next destination was almost confirmed once this news broke out. Manchester City and PSG were the two possible destinations. The Premier League club could not afford him as they had splashed £100 million for Jack Grealish a few days before. PSG grabbed the opportunity and landed the star player alongside four other players in the colossal summer transfer window.
The prospect of Messi playing alongside Neymar and Kylian Mbappe had excited everyone as this was the strongest attacking trio on paper. However, they have failed to match the hype. The three of them together, have managed to score only 33 goals as they rank 17th across the top-5 leagues plus European competitions.
In the Champions League, Messi’s impressive form continued as he scored five goals in the group stages. That flow saw an end when PSG was dumped out of the tournament by Real Madrid. However, his struggles in the league have overshadowed this. Messi has managed to score only two goals so far, putting him on the route to his worst ever season tally.
The magician might be running short on goals, but people watching him play can vouch that his performance is still the same. The 34-year-old’s quick feet is still a nightmare for defenders and while the Argentine is struggling to score goals, he has been regulating the void by assisting goals.
Messi has assisted 10 goals in the league so far, ranking him first alongside Benjamin Bourigeaud and Mbappe. And one out of these 10 has earned him the assist of the year award from Ligue 1. Messi dribbled the ball past several Saint-Etienne defenders before laying the ball off to Mbappe who scored the goal. PSG won that match 3-1, and the seven-time Balon d’Or winner assisted all three of them.
| Tournament | Appearances | Goals | Assists | Passing accuracy | Man of the Match | Rating |
| Ligue 1 | 16(2) | 2 | 10 | 86.1% | 3 | 7.61 |
| Champions League | 7 | 5 | – | 87.4% | 2 | 7.73 |