Lionel Messi, the Argentine captain and World Cup winner, has been suspended by his football club, Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), for two weeks. The suspension follows a recent unauthorized trip to Saudi Arabia with his family. Reports suggest that Messi travelled to Saudi Arabia without any prior permission from PSG. He will be suspended for 14 days without pay and will not be allowed to participate in group training sessions. The suspension means he will miss upcoming games against Troyes and Ajaccio. PSG has not yet released an official statement regarding the suspension.
There have been rumors for several months that Messi may leave PSG for a possible return to Barcelona. The unauthorized trip may indicate that he is planning to leave PSG, but it is unclear where he would go. Al Hilal in Saudi Arabia and Inter Miami CF in the US have expressed interest in him. This season, Messi has scored 20 goals in 37 games, with 19 assists to his name. PSG recently lost 3-1 to Lorient in a Ligue 1 fixture, but they remain ahead of second-placed Marseille by five points with only five matches left to play.