As soccer and business become increasingly intertwined, the sight of a player moving between the giants is becoming rarer and rarer. However, for Lionel Messi, the fact that he not only made his mark at Barcelona, but also ended his career there, makes the experience particularly valuable. Looking back on Messi's Barcelona career, this is not only a summary of his soccer journey, but also a chapter in the red and blue memories, heralding the opening of a new chapter.
The era of "MSN" combination is the peak period of Messi in Barcelona, Neymar's departure brought Barcelona a painful lesson in the Champions League. Even if Messi can continue to individual performance, but can not stop the team in the European field decline.
Valverde took over Barcelona in the 2017-2018 season, and fixing the rift left by Neymar was crucial for the team. In the Western Super Cup, Messi scored a penalty in the first round but ended up 1-3 against Real Madrid, and Zinedine Zidane led the team to complete a double over Barcelona in the second round. Messi failed to help Valverde win the title on his debut, but set a new record for goals in a national derby.
Messi led his team to a double in La Liga and the Copa del Rey that season, but in the Champions League quarterfinals, Barcelona led Roma 4-1 in the first round, only to suffer an unexpected 0-3 defeat in the second round and suffer a humiliating reversal.
In the 2018-2019 season, despite Messi's outstanding performance in the league, winning the Golden Boot and easily defending his title, he was defeated 1-2 in the Copa del Rey final against Valencia. In the Champions League semifinals, Barcelona led Liverpool 3-0 in the first round only to suffer a 4-0 defeat in the second round, suffering a humiliating reversal for the second consecutive season.
Lionel Messi's absence from the U.S. tour due to injury during the 2019-2020 season heralded a tumultuous season for Barcelona. Valverde gradually lost the trust of the dressing room and the coaching of new manager Setien was not recognized by Messi. Internal friction led to a Copa del Rey final defeat to Athletic Bilbao, a league defeat to Real Madrid, and a 2-8 defeat to Bayern in the Champions League's single-leg knockout stage.
This season has been a dark one for Messi, who attempted to activate his free-agency clause to leave Barcelona in August 2020, but Bartomeu insisted the clause expired in the June epidemic and the two sides almost went to court. In the end, Messi opted to stay and complete his contract.
Messi capped his Barcelona career with a Copa del Rey title in the 2020-2021 season. But in La Liga, Barcelona lost against Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid. In the Champions League 1/8 final, Barcelona defeated Paris Saint-Germain 1-4 in the first round, and eventually went out 2-5 in two rounds.
Messi has been trying to renew his contract with Barcelona after it expired this summer, but due to Barcelona's financial situation and La Liga rules, he was unable to complete his La Liga player registration and had to bring his 21-year Barcelona career to a close.
