Paris Saint-Germain Suspend Lionel Messi for Two Weeks

Paris Saint-Germain has officially suspended Lionel Messi for two weeks without pay due to an unauthorized Saudi Arabia trip.

ESPN reported that due to his unauthorized trip, he missed training this past Monday. During his suspension, Messi will not train or play with the first team. Originally reported by French newspaper L'Equipe, PSG manager Christophe Galtier had initially told his players that they could have Monday and Tuesday off if they beat Lorient on Sunday. However, a defeat would mean that players would need to train on Monday.

Messi had reportedly asked management if he could travel to the Arab Gulf to honor his sponsorship deal as a Saudi ambassador and he was given the green light to go in an event of a win or draw, just not a defeat. So, when Lorient defeated PSG 3-1 and Messi still flew to Saudi Arabia without asking for permission, it created tension within the team. This year alone, it has been rumored that Barcelona is looking into the possibility of re-signing Messi, while he has also been a subject of interest from the Saudi Arabian club Al Hilal and Major League Soccer Inter Miami team.

In other sports news, Joel Embiid wins the 2022-23 Kia NBA Most Valuable Player award.