Lionel Messi agrees to contract extension with Barcelona
Barcelona announced Wednesday that Lionel Messi has agreed to a three-year contract extension, committing until 2021 in what would be the soccer superstar’s 17th season with the club.
The 30-year-old Messi, who has said on numerous occasions he wants to play the best years of his career with Barcelona, is expected to sign the deal “in the coming week.” His current contract was set to expire at the end of the 2017-18 season.
“The club is very happy with both the renewal and the commitment of Messi, the best player in history," Barcelona said in a statement. “He has played his full professional career at Barca and has led the team to an era of extraordinary success, the likes of which has never been seen in world football.”
Since making his debut with Barcelona's first team at age 17 in 2004, Messi has established himself as one of the best to ever play the game. He has won the FIFA world player of the year five times, and has become the Spanish league's all-time leading scorer. His honors with the club include four Champions League trophies, eight Spanish league titles and five Copa del Rey titles.
Contributing: Associated Press
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