Lionel Messi finally made his debut with PSG on Sunday after securing a shocking move from Barcelona. By no surprise, Messi received a warm welcome when he came on as a substitute in the second half in a 2-0 victory against Reims. Although the Argentinian didn't manage to bag a goal, there was no shortage of viewers. But, not in France. Back in Spain, where Lionel Messi is still an icon.
Lionel Messi's debut for PSG became the most-viewed Ligue 1 match in Spanish history with an audience totaling 6,734,000 viewers 🤯
Pique bought the TV rights to Ligue 1 in Spain through his company Kosmos Holding last week. pic.twitter.com/9sr3DvZD0Z
— B/R Football (@brfootball) August 30, 2021
I suppose the Spaniards will be Ligue 1 fans now with Messi rocking a PSG shirt. That's also an extremely classy move by Gerard Pique to buy the TV rights of French top-flight football just so the supporters in Spain can actually watch the Barcelona legend play on a weekly basis.
Lionel Messi's exit from Camp Nou was not only surprising but also sad after almost a decade with the club. It's extremely unfortunate that Barca is in such financial turmoil, but the page has been turned and they're now looking ahead to the future without arguably the best player to ever suit up for them.
However, the Barcelona and La Liga fans as a whole will continue to watch Lionel Messi in France as he looks to win numerous trophies this season with a star-studded PSG squad.