Lionel Messi has admitted on the back of his sixth Ballon d’Or triumph that “retirement is approaching”, but the Argentine hopes to enjoy “many more years” at the top and says Barcelona have nothing to worry about when it comes to his future.
That will comes as a relief to those at Camp Nou, with it having already been revealed that an all-time great has an exit clause in his current contract.
There has been no suggestion that it will be triggered, with Messi continuing to be a talismanic presence for the reigning La Liga champions.