Lionel Messi Suspended by PSG for Unauthorised Trip to Saudi Arabia

The suspension comes at a critical juncture for the French club, who had planned to extend the Argentine star's contract beyond this season.

Lionel Messi was suspended by Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday for travelling to Saudi Arabia without permission from the club, according to a person familiar with the issue.

The individual refused to identify the period of the punishment, while French media stated that it was two weeks. The individual talked on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to speak publicly about the situation.

Messi would miss PSG's next two games if he was suspended for two weeks. Both L'Equipe and RMC Sport announced the suspension without naming any sources.

According to the Associated Press, the World Cup champion will not be permitted to train or play with the team and will not be paid during his ban.

According to the source, PSG had turned down Messi's request to accompany him on the trip.

Messi, 35, has a commercial agreement with Saudi Arabia to promote tourism in the Middle Eastern country.

The suspension comes at a critical juncture for the French club, who had planned to extend the Argentine star's contract beyond this season.

Messi's trip came after PSG's surprising 3-1 loss to Lorient on Sunday, which gave the defending champions a five-point advantage over Marseille with five games remaining. Messi played the entire game.

According to L'Equipe, PSG coach Christophe Galtier has promised his players two days off if they win Lorient on Monday and Tuesday. Instead, the team practised on Monday and had the day off on Tuesday.

The forward arrived at PSG from Barcelona two years ago, hoping to lead the squad to the coveted Champions League trophy. Instead, the Qatari-backed club has been eliminated in the round of 16 for the past two seasons.

There has been conjecture regarding where he would play next, particularly following rumours that contract talks with PSG had fallen down. During the team's inconsistency, some PSG fans have even booed Messi.

In December, Messi guided Argentina to the World Cup triumph. He has 15 league goals and leads the French league in that category.

Messi has not publicly reacted on the suspension on his social media sites.