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Alla Zakarian

25-09-2018 | 20:45 Football
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3 reasons why 2020-21 season will be the last for Lionel Messi at Barcelona

It seemed as if he had been playing with us all his life.

—Barcelona's then assistant coach Henk Ten Cate on Messi's first-team debu

In my entire life I have never seen a player of such quality and personality at such a young age, particularly wearing the 'heavy' shirt of one of the world's great clubs.

—Fabio Capello praises the 18-year-old Messi following the Joan Gamper trophy in August 2005.

Messi is the best player in the world by some distance. He's like a PlayStation. He can take advantage of every mistake we make.

—Arsène Wenger commends Messi for his four-goal display against Arsenal in April 2010.

I feel sorry for those who want to compete for Messi's throne – it's impossible, this kid is unique.

—Pep Guardiola after Messi became Barcelona's all-time top scorer at age 24 in March 2012

Messi is an alien that dedicates himself to playing with humans.

—Juventus captain Gianluigi Buffon ahead of their meeting in the Champions League final in June 2015

Leo Messi is the best player in the world. Technically perfect, he brings together unselfishness, pace, composure and goals to make him number one. Messi's footballing career started in 1995 at Newell's Old Boys, where he played until the year 2000. At the age of 13, Lionel Messi crossed the Atlantic to try his luck in Barcelona and joined the Under 14s. Messi made spectacular progress at each of the different age levels, climbing through the ranks to Barça C, followed by Barça B and the first team in record time. The Argentina International has made 644 Barcelona appearances, scored 560 goals and made 238 assists. How far can Leo Messi go? Following his new deal last year, Lionel Messi became one of the highest paid athletes in the world. With a contract that has a buyout clause of $850 million (€700 million), there stands very little chance for any club to afford the price tag put on the Argentine legend. A contract that will get him through the 2020-2021 season, this could be the last ever signing for the Barcelona maestro, as he will be 34 by the time his deal expires. The 5 time Ballon d'Or winner, given his age and his acceptance for new challenges, could find him somewhere else after 2021. Though it is way too early to say, here are 3 reasons why this is the very last contract that Messi has signed for the Spanish giants.

Age Factor

Messi is already 31 years old, but he is showing no such traits of fatigue or bad fitness, as a matter of fact. The Argentine only seems to get better and better with each and every season passing by. But by 2021, Messi's will to compete at an extremely higher level may just fall. The likes of Zlatan Ibrahimovic, David Villa, and Frank Lampard, all of those who moved on to MLS after they reached this particular age. Messi, being an extremely humble personality, might also think that he is just being an obstacle for the young talent up at the Camp Nou and that he needs to promote his position and allow another world-class talent to take the stage.

Offers from other clubs

With Manchester City, Paris-Saint-Germain, Manchester United and multiple other clubs, who, at some point of time have tried to get the Argentine's signature, Messi's will to accept another challenge in another league can be valid. His will to compete in a tournament like the Premier League or Serie A can be a reason, as he can just take on a brand new challenge for his own personal liking.

Retirement

34 isn't an age at which most of the football players retire, but given the fact that the competition in this particular sport gets more and more difficult every single season, Messi could be looking forward to ending his tenure as one of the greatest of all time. Having received all the trophies at the club level, Messi will have nothing else to conquer. However, he still has the FIFA World Cup to look forward to. A legacy left behind by one of the greatest of all times, Lionel Messi's contract could just be the very last one as he has his age, his hunger for newer challenges and retirement as choices by the end of the current contract.

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