Lionel Messi throws a team jersey to Paris Saint-Germain supporters Wednesday, Aug. 11
Lionel Messi was welcomed by Paris Saint-Germain's jubilant fans on Wednesday after coming out of his first press conference as a PSG player in which he said that he is dreaming of winning the Champions League again as he starts a new and unexpected chapter in his career at the French club.
Securing an elusive first triumph in Europe's elite club competition will be the immediate target for the Argentina forward, who has won it four times with Barcelona, and his expensively assembled team-mates in a side which finished second in Ligue 1 last season.
Messi said he's "in the right place" to win another Champions League trophy and cited a reunion with Neymar as a key factor in his decision to sign with Paris Saint-Germain.
The 34-year-old Argentina star spoke at his introductory news conference at Parc des Princes stadium on Wednesday, the morning after signing a two-year deal with the option for a third season after leaving Barcelona.
"My goal and my dream is to be able to lift another Champions. And I think I ended up in the ideal place to try and achieve it," Messi said.
Qatari-backed PSG has been desperate to win the Champions League, falling just short when it lost the 2020 final to Bayern Munich.
Messi helped Barcelona win four Champions League trophies.
However, president Nasser Al-Khelaifi also hopes his marquee signing will have a longer-term impact by persuading the in-demand Kylian Mbappe to stay, with the 22-year-old France international in the final 11 months of his contract.
