How PSG Has Fared With and Without Lionel Messi Since He Joined in 2021

• Stats have shown Paris Saint-Germain are better without Lionel Messi in the team
• The 35-year-old joined PSG in 2021 after Barcelona had failed to extend his contract
• Messi is set to leave PSG at the end of the season when his two-year term expires

Lionel Messi’s era at Paris Saint-Germain is set to end after two seasons with the French giants, with the Argentine superstar set to bag his second Ligue 1 title.

Messi joined PSG in the summer of 2021 on a two-year deal after leaving Barcelona due to financial issues.

The 35-year-old arrived in Paris with high expectations from the fans, with the club hoping his arrival would propel them to their first UEFA Champions League trophy.

Messi has 31 goals and 34 assists from 72 games in all competitions since his arrival in 2021. He is on the verge of a second consecutive Ligue 1 title, after winning the FIFA World Cup with Argentina in December.

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Here, Sports Brief analyses how PSG has fared since signing the veteran as a free agent in 2021.

PSG and Messi in 2021/22

PSG have not necessarily been better with Messi in the team. The club’s supporters are turning on the Argentine superstar and calling for him to leave after protesting at PSG’s headquarters.

The superstar's first season was hampered by a niggling knee injury and a bout of COVID-19. The Parisians averaged 2.12 points in Ligue 1 with the Argentine in the team.

In all competitions in the 2021/22 season, PSG played 34 matches with Messi and won 20 matches, lost 7 and drew 11, Ligue 1 reports.

They managed an average point tally of 2.03, despite scoring a total of 74 goals and conceding 36 while the Barcelona legend was present in the first team.

Without Messi, PSG had a better average point tally, amassing 2.53 points in the 15 games played without the Argentine. They scored 38 times and conceded just 12 goals.

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PSG and Messi in 2022/23

This season, the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner has only missed six games in Ligue 1 and nine in all competitions- and PSG have missed him when he hasn't been around.

The Parisians have an average of 2.45 points per game with Messi, and 1.67 without him in the first team. They also average one more goal per game.

Messi has also scored 15 goals, created 15 assists in Ligue 1 alone, and was the club’s top scorer in the Champions League group stages. He scored six goals before they were knocked out in the round of 16 by Bayern Munich.

As can be seen above, PSG remains marginally better without Messi over the last two seasons, even if there has been a significant uptick in his performances. They average marginally more points and score slightly more.

What’s next for Lionel Messi?

Messi remains a world-class player - perhaps the greatest ever - and he will continue to make good on the above numbers, but his time at PSG appears to be over.

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According to Sky Sports, Messi will leave Parc des Princes at the end of the season, with the Ligue 1 club reportedly not planning to offer him a new contract.

Messi remains confident in his ability to play at the highest level in Europe, and Barcelona have made no secret of their desire to re-sign him this summer.

It remains to be seen whether they can afford to offer him a new contract, but at this point in his career, he is far more likely to stay in Europe than move to Inter Miami (or any other MLS club) or Saudi Arabia.

PSG fans still boo Messi

Earlier, Sports Brief reported that PSG fans are showing no mercy for their superstar, Messi, as they insist the World Cup winner must go.

The Argentine veteran was booed again during his first game back after the two-week suspension, much to the delight of the crowd.

Messi was initially punished for an unsolicited trip to Saudi Arabia, which would have forced him to miss Saturday's match against Ajaccio.