"His future will be PSG" - Rivaldo makes shocking claim about Barcelona captain Lionel Messi
Brazilian icon Rivaldo has spoken out about Lionel Messi's potential move to PSG, following Barcelona's 4-1 rollicking at the hands of the French champions.
Barcelona lost the first-leg of their UEFA Champions League Round of 16 tie after taking a 1-0 lead thanks to Lionel Messi. PSG, however, went on to put four past a rather poor Barcelona side, with Kylian Mbappe scoring a hattrick.
Former Barcelona forward Rivaldo thinks that the loss could be the straw that breaks the camel's back and that Messi will join PSG in June. Lionel Messi is currently in the final 5 months of his contract at Barcelona and is free to negotiate with clubs over a summer move.
As reported by Marca, Rivaldo told Betfair after the game:
"This heavy defeat against PSG will almost certainly be Messi's last Champions League game with Barcelona at the Camp Nou. Barcelona cannot give Messi a real chance to fight for big trophies. His future will be PSG, even more so given his display at the Camp Nou."
"Messi is well into his 30s, [and he] is still taking responsibility for the team. To make matters worse, this season he has seen his best teammate, Luis Suarez, leave in an incomprehensible sale that has served to make Atletico Madrid stronger than ever," Rivaldo added.
Lionel Messi stated he wanted to leave Barcelona last summer, after the club's treatment of some of the older players in the squad. Lionel Messi's good friend Luis Suarez was one of the players that was told to leave the club after being a loyal servant to the Blaugrana for many years.
The move left Messi disgruntled going into the season and affected both his and the team's performances earlier in the campaign.
Can Lionel Messi help Barcelona get past PSG?
Barcelona have found themselves in this position before. Back in 2017, Barcelona went into the 2nd leg of their UEFA Champions League Round of 16 tie 4-0 down against PSG. However, the Catalans were able to pull off an extraordinary comeback, winning the game 6-1.
Lionel Messi was on the scoresheet that day and Barcelona will hope that the Argentine can produce the same kind of magic when they meet PSG for the second leg in March. Rivaldo, however, does not believe that Barcelona have enough to get past the French giants.
"There is not a single player in the squad who believes in the comeback. It's impossible to turn it around," Rivaldo told Betfair.