Have footballers become too expensive?

Lionel Messi is one of the world’s best – and most expensive – footballers.

But his 21-year association with FC Barcelona is now over.

The Spanish football club is letting the Argentinian superstar go because it cannot afford to pay his multimillion-dollar salary without going further into debt, and breaking the Spanish league’s financial rules.

Messi is now likely to move to Paris Saint-Germain, playing alongside other big names like Neymar and Kylian Mbappe.

So, have footballers become too expensive for Europe’s marquee clubs?

And what will Messi’s departure mean for the sport and the fans?

Presenter: Mohammed Jamjoom

Guests:

Kieran Maguire – Football finance lecturer at the University of Liverpool

Jennifer Seefoo – Spain correspondent for Milenio TV and sport journalist

Raffaele Poli – Co-founder, Football Observatory at the International Centre for Sports Studies