Lionel Messi officially issued a response after being suspended two weeks by Paris Saint-Germain for taking an unauthorized trip to Saudi Arabia instead of reporting to training earlier in the week. He offered an apology along with an explanation for his absence.

“I want to apologize, of course, to my teammates, to the club. I honestly thought we had a day off after the game as we have done throughout the weeks before,” the icon said, via Bleacher Report Football. “{I'm} Sorry for what I did and I’m waiting for whatever the club decides.”

The 35-year-old also said that he had been forced to cancel his trip before and implied he did not want to do so again. There will be many fans who receive Messi's words with suspicion, given that it was reported he was already likely to part ways with PSG after his contract expires at the end of this season. This suspension is apparently the final nail in his Ligue 1 coffin.

The timing of the trip to Saudi Arabia will naturally make their pro league a leading candidate for his next career destination in the eyes of the public. Messi's contemporary Christiano Ronaldo just landed the No. 1 spot on Forbes' top 10 highest paid athletes for 2023 after signing an absurd contract with the Saudi Professional League club team Al Nassr (reportedly over $200 million per year).

Regardless of what is to come, the countless fans of Lionel Messi were desperate to hear from him amid the growing drama. PSG is clinging to a five-point lead in the Ligue 1 standings.

With No. 30's brief love affair with the French powerhouse seemingly coming to an end, club supporters will want the final days to at least end on a high note.