Connect with us

Messi has won more Ballon d’Or awards – given to the best player in the world – than anybody else, with six

Barcelona’s all-time leading goalscorer Lionel Messi says he is staying because it is “impossible” for any team to pay his release clause and he does not want to face “the club I love” in court.

The Argentine, 33, sent a fax to Barca last Tuesday saying he wanted to exercise a clause in his contract which he said allowed him to leave for free.

But the club said his 700m euro (£624m) release clause would have to be met.

“I thought and was sure that I was free to leave,” Messi told Goal.

“The president always said that at the end of the season I could decide if I stayed or not.

“Now I am going to continue in the club because the president told me that the only way to leave was to pay the 700m clause, and that this is impossible.”

Messi, whose contract expires next summer, says the fact he did not tell Barca he wanted to leave before 10 June was crucial, and had he done so his release clause would not have had to be met.

“Now they cling to the fact that I did not say it before 10 June, when it turns out that on 10 June we were competing for La Liga in the middle of this awful coronavirus and this disease altered all the season,” he added.

“There was another way and it was to go to trial. I would never go to court against Barca because it is the club that I love, which gave me everything since I arrived.

“It is the club of my life, I have made my life here.”

Messi’s father Jorge had held talks in Barcelona this week and insisted his son could leave for free, only for La Liga to back Barca’s stance over the release clause.

Manchester City were among the clubs linked with Messi when he made clear he wanted to end his 20-year stay at the Nou Camp, nine days after an 8-2 defeat by Bayern Munich in the Champions League quarter-finals.

That result meant Barca ended the season with no silverware, and they replaced manager Quique Setien with former Everton and Netherlands manager Ronald Koeman.

Messi is yet to train with his team-mates since Koeman’s arrival and admits the club’s lack of recent success influenced his decision to ask to leave.

“I looked further afield and I want to compete at the highest level, win titles, compete in the Champions League,” he said.

“When I communicated my wish to leave to my wife and children, it was a brutal drama.

“The whole family began crying, my children did not want to leave Barcelona, nor did they want to change schools.

“I love Barcelona and I’m not going to find a better place than here anywhere. Still, I have the right to decide.

“I was going to look for new goals and new challenges. And tomorrow I could go back, because here in Barcelona I have everything.”

‘This could get uglier’ – Analysis

So Messi is staying, but this saga is far from over.

One notable takeaway from his interview was his brutal assessment of club president Josep Maria Bartomeu, as he lamented: “There has been no project or anything for a long time, they juggle and cover holes as they go along.”

Bartomeu’s tenure as president finishes in March but he will now come under heavy pressure to resign immediately, and it’s hard to see how he and Messi can coexist in the same club after such a vicious character assassination.

Of course, the big question also lingers: will Messi now leave on a free transfer next summer? If so, he will be allowed to negotiate his move in January, and that topic is sure to dominate headlines over the next few weeks.

One man in the middle of this is recently appointed coach Ronald Koeman, who has the task of somehow reintegrating the team’s captain and key player within an utterly dysfunctional club still traumatised by the embarrassing 8-2 Champions League loss against Bayern Munich.

All the best, Ronald. This sorry story has a few more chapters to be written, and it could get uglier yet.

From going to staying – a Messi timeline

  • 14 August – Messi and Barcelona are humiliated as they crash out of the Champions League with an 8-2 thrashing by eventual winners Bayern Munich in their one-off quarter-final tie.
  • 17 August – Head coach Quique Setien is sacked eight months after taking charge at the Nou Camp.
  • 18 August – Former Barca midfielder Ronald Koeman leaves his job as manager of the Netherlands to take over from Setien.
  • 25 August – Messi sends a burofax to Barca chiefs informing them he wishes to leave – with claims of disagreements between the player and the club of the validity of a contract clause which would allow him to go for free.
  • 30 August – Messi does not turn up for his scheduled Covid-19 test before Barcelona’s start to pre-season training. Later, La Liga issues a statement siding with Barca in the dispute over whether Messi can depart for nothing.
  • 2 September – Messi and his father Jorge hold a meeting with Barca, and Jorge is reported in the Spanish press as saying it would be “difficult” for his son to stay at the Nou Camp.
  • 4 September – Messi’s father writes to La Liga insisting his son is contractually allowed to leave Barcelona for free in the current transfer window. However, Messi later confirms his intention to stay because he does not want to take Barcelona to court.

Entertainment Gists

“Lagos Gave Me My Greatest Successes and Deepest Heartbreak”: Cuppy Opens Up in New IFEOLUWA Documentary

Published

on

On her birthday, Florence Ifeoluwa Otedola invites viewers beyond the public image and into a more personal story of home, family, identity and purpose.

For years, Nigerians have known Florence “Cuppy” Otedola as the internationally recognised DJ and philanthropist with the famous pink hair and vibrant public personality. This birthday, she is inviting audiences to see a side of her that rarely takes centre stage.

Released on 11 November 2026, her new 12 minute documentary, IFEOLUWA, follows Cuppy back to Lagos, the city that shaped her and remains close to her heart. It is also, as the film explores, a place connected to some of her greatest successes and deepest heartbreak.

The title IFEOLUWA means “The Love of God”. Rather than another glamorous birthday celebration, Cuppy is marking the occasion by sharing a more reflective portrait of the woman behind the spotlight. The film explores womanhood, ambition, identity, belonging and the ongoing process of becoming.

There are tender moments, too. Viewers see Cuppy not just as a public figure, but as a daughter, sister and granddaughter. Her time with her grandmother offers an especially intimate glimpse of the affection and family ties at the heart of her story.

The documentary also captures an evolution that audiences may already have noticed. The signature pink hair has given way to a new look and a more grounded chapter, with faith, education and service increasingly central to how Cuppy speaks about her future. It is not a rejection of music, but a fuller picture of the person behind it.

Her philanthropic work remains an important part of that picture. Through the Cuppy Foundation, she has helped raise more than $17 million to support displaced children in Nigeria in partnership with Save the Children. She has also established education funds at the University of Oxford, New York University and King’s College London to help students overcome financial barriers, particularly those from Africa.

Alongside this work, Cuppy remains active as an international DJ, with performances including Glastonbury, Wireless Festival and Cannes Lions, as well as events during United Nations General Assembly week.

At its heart, IFEOLUWA is about more than a familiar celebrity image. It is a personal homecoming and an invitation to understand how family, faith, Lagos and lived experience are shaping Cuppy’s next chapter.

Watch IFEOLUWA on YouTube

Continue Reading

Entertainment Gists

Druppythekid Set to release New Two-Track Pack

Published

on

Nigerian emerging artist Druppythekid is set to release his new two-track pack, No Love and LA LA LA (Serenade), on November 13, 2026, delivering a message of ambition, self-belief, and defiance in the face of criticism.

Originally from Kwara State and based in Lagos, Druppythekid developed a love for rap, hip-hop, and pop music as a teenager. Introduced to poetry in high school, he found a natural connection between words and rap, eventually joining a rap group before exploring music production at university. After graduation, he began rapping over his own beats, turning his passion into a growing musical pursuit.

On “No Love,” Druppythekid speaks to the determination required to chase dreams despite doubt and opposition. “LA LA LA (Serenade)” takes a more unapologetic approach, dismissing the opinions of those who never believed in him.

Together, the two records reflect one central message: keep pursuing your vision and never let the opinions of others define your journey.

No Love and LA LA LA (Serenade) arrive on major digital streaming platforms on November 13, 2026.

Continue Reading

Entertainment Gists

Who Is Chinwe Zoe? The Nigerian Gospel Singer Behind “Undeniable

Published

on

Chinwe Zoe, a Nigerian gospel singer and songwriter, began recording music in December 2025 after years of singing in church and at home. Less than a year later, she has released three singles, including “Chinwendum”, featuring gospel singer Frank Edwards, “Undeniable” and “Jesus Don Win”, her October 2026 release produced by Masterkraft.

For Zoe, the decision to record was connected to a personal experience that changed how she viewed her life and faith. She has described it as a near-death experience that left her with a renewed sense of gratitude. “In that moment, when I thought it was over, God showed me mercy,” she said. “He gave me victory. And that victory was too loud to keep inside.”

Her debut, “Chinwendum”, was released in December 2025 with Frank Edwards featured on the record. She followed it with “Undeniable” on May 7, 2026. The song’s official video has recorded more than 460,000 views on YouTube. In October, she released “Jesus Don Win”, produced by Masterkraft, with a video directed by Avalon Okpe.

Zoe’s approach to songwriting draws on personal experiences and scripture. She has said that she does not begin the process by searching for a melody, but by waiting for a message that she can develop into a song. She describes a process in which an experience or scripture stays with her until it takes musical form. The melody follows, and she hums it before committing anything to writing.

Her guiding principle is that a gospel song should be accessible to listeners while remaining suitable for congregational worship. “It should be simple enough for a child to sing and strong enough for a choir to carry,” she said.

Zoe has identified CeCe Winans, Nathaniel Bassey and Dunsin Oyekan among the musicians whose work has influenced her. She sings in English and Igbo, and occasionally in Pidgin, drawing on the worship tradition in her musical expression.

“Every song I sing comes from a place I have lived,” she said. “My pain taught me how to worship, my joy taught me how to praise.”

Her music has also begun attracting an online audience. Her YouTube channel has recorded more than 627,000 views across nine videos, while her Spotify monthly listeners have been reported at approximately 6,500. Her Audiomack profile is verified. Zoe records under her own imprint, H2 Records, with distribution through ONErpm. She made her first public performance at the 2026 Annual Virtuous Women Network conference in Enugu, where she performed “Undeniable”.

Outside music, she has spoken about her interest in soul winning and described it as connected to her musical work. She has also said that she wants her songs to encourage listeners facing difficult circumstances. “I want my songs to shift mindsets from worry to worship,” she said. “Whenever anxiety comes, whenever life tries to make you feel small, I want you to hear my sound in your spirit and declare victory over your life.”

Continue Reading

Trending

Copyright © 2013 - 2020, 47vibez Media.