Lionel Messi collects Laureus award with glamorous wife Antonela after return to PSG following disciplinary issue
LIONEL MESSI added yet another trophy to his collection after being named sportsman of the year at the Laureus World Sports Awards.
The 35-year-old accepted the accolade at a ceremony in Paris just hours after it was confirmed that he had returned to PSG following a suspension.
Messi has apologised for an unauthorised trip to Saudi Arabia but his PSG future remains uncertain.
At the Laureus World Sports Awards, he said: “I want to thank all my team-mates, not only from the national team but also at PSG – I have achieved none of this alone and I am grateful to be able to share everything with them.
“I want to thank the Laureus Academy – what makes these Awards so special to us as athletes is the fact that they are voted for by these incredible champions, my heroes, and this puts my sporting achievements in true context.
“I was looking at the names of the incredible legends that won the Laureus Sportsman of the Year Award before me, Schumacher, Woods, Nadal, Federer, Bolt, Hamilton, Djokovic.
“It really sunk in what unbelievable company I’m in and what a unique honour this is.”
PSG confirmed on their official Twitter account on Monday morning that the 35-year-old Argentina international was back in a Twitter post which was accompanied by a photograph of the World Cup winner in training kit, with the caption: “Leo Messi back in training this Monday morning.”
Messi, who is an ambassador for the Saudi Tourism Authority, was pictured in Riyadh the day after his side had suffered a surprise defeat to Lorient.
He later revealed in a video posted on his official Instagram account that he had to make the trip for contractual reasons, having previously cancelled it, and had assumed he had a day off.
— Paris Saint-Germain (@PSG_English) May 8, 2023
Leo Messi back in training this Monday morning. pic.twitter.com/Neo6GEWEIm
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Messi said: “First of all, I want to say sorry to my team-mates and to the club. I honestly thought that we were going to be free after the game, as had been the case in previous weeks.
“I had organised this trip to Saudi Arabia, which had been cancelled previously and this time I couldn’t. I apologise again and I’m here for whatever the club decide. All the best.”
The seven-time Ballon d’Or winner joined PSG from Barcelona in August 2021 after the Catalan club ran into severe financial difficulties and, although a return has been mooted, those difficulties make that unlikely.
In recent days, he has been linked with a move to Saudi Arabia’s Pro League amid reports he could earn up to £320million a year.
Former Chelsea midfielder Claude Makelele, says he disagreed with PSG’s decision to suspend Messi and hoped the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner would stay.
He added: “It’s inside the club so I can’t know what’s going on, but there are other ways to punish a player internally,
“It’s his choice. He has done so much, he also has the right to have fun. I hope that Paris will keep him. It’s a shame to lose this kind of players who give pleasure, we need them.”