Lionel Messi said he was joining the "best" players at PSG and is looking forward to starting on the pitch. (0:44).Lionel Messi, Paris Saint-Germain's first player, spoke on Wednesday at his first news conference. He stated that he is determined to win the Champions League after a difficult end to his Barcelona career.PSG on Tuesday announced Messi's arrival. The former Barcelona player signed a two-year contract with the option to extend for another year. According to sources, Messi will earn between 30-35 million and 41 million dollars ($35-41m) per year.- Messi's tears of joy on Barcelona's Day like no other- The definitive timeline for Messi's Barcelona careerMerci, Messi! "A new diamond in Paris"Messi was presented to the Parc des Princes news conference by PSG. His name was chanted and he sat down with club president Nasser Al-Khelaifi.He talked about his desire to win the Champions League a fifth year, his end at Camp Nou and his excitement to play alongside Neymar and Kylian Mbappe."My departure from Barca was difficult after so many years. But, as soon as I arrived here, I felt so happy, motivated, and excited. It's been so quick, but it is so enjoyable," Messi stated."My dream and goal is to win the Champions League again. We have the team here to win it, I believe."The coaches and squad here are capable to win everything. That is my goal. This team is amazing. Some amazing signings have taken place. It will be an amazing experience. I don't know when I'll be able to start playing and may need to do some preseason conditioning. I want to get to the training sessions as soon as possible.Messi spoke out about his teammates Neymar (and Mbappe), the two most expensive players ever in history, at 222m and 180m. It's insane. It's crazy. I get to play with some of the greatest players in the world.The club needed to give more time for logistics due to the international media interest in the transfer.Messi, who spoke on Sunday at the Barcelona farewell news conference, said that PSG are an option. Wednesday's speech was a thank you to the new club for their speedy negotiations. The Argentina international, who won Copa America this summer with his country, spoke out about the possibility of facing his former team in the Champions League.He said, "I am very thankful that such complex negotiations were made so simple." "I didn't know where I was going when I left Barcelona. This week was hard, fast and very emotional. However, I am excited for this new stage in my career and for my family."[PSG] had established themselves right from the beginning, even though it was difficult in these conditions. I would like to thank the club and for all the help it has given me."The Barca fans knew that I would join a great club fighting for the Champions League. They know me. I like winning, I'm a winner, and I want to keep doing that.I don't doubt PSG's goals are to win and grow. While it would be great to play them in the Champions League, especially among fans, it would also be strange to return to my home wearing a different team's shirt. But that's football.After Barcelona failed to register Lionel Messi's new contract, Lionel Messi made the move to Paris Saint-Germain. STEPHANE DE SAKUTIN/AFP via Getty ImagesMessi moved to Paris following the failure of Barcelona to register his five year contract at Camp Nou. This was due to financial problems surrounding LaLiga's salary rules. Messi's deal would have seen Barcelona's wages rise to 110% of their revenues, which is way more than the 70% limit. Their spending cap with LaLiga fell from more than 600 million in 2019-20, to 200m for next season. This made it impossible for Messi to register his new deal even with a pay cut. His prior terms had a base salary of approximately 70m gross, without any bonuses."I speak from the bottom. We are grateful to everyone who made this possible. We are proud to have the top player in the world. Al-Khelaifi stated that the hard work begins now."This is a historic and amazing day for the club, and the football world. Leo is a master of football magic. He's beautiful and he's a winner. There was no doubt that Messi and PSG wanted to see this happen."We have someone next to us, he won many trophies, and I am certain he will bring lots to the club with his squad with his team-mates. They are the best players in all of the world and an amazing coach. He is for me the best in the whole world."Al-Khelaifi also was asked about Mbappe’s future and the Financial Fair Play implications of Messi's move from PSG to Messi. Mbappe's contract with PSG expires in 2022.Al-Khelaifi stated, "I was waiting for this question." Financial Fair Play has been respected by us since the beginning. After speaking with our financial professionals, we were confident that we could sign him. The negatives of his actions should not be the only thing the media should focus on."I believe we have the best team. Kylian has no other choice than to remain in Paris.Al-Khelaifi stated that people would be shocked by the financial revenue Messi would bring to the club. However, he joked: "I hope Leo won't ask for more salary."Messi scored a record 672 goals for Barca in 778 appearances. He won 10 LaLiga titles and the Copa del Rey seven more times. He also won the Copa del Rey seven time, the Copa del Rey three times apiece, and the UEFA Super Cup, FIFA Club World Cup, and the Champions League on four occasions.He also helped Argentina win Copa America in July.
