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Barcelona forward Lionel Messi has signed a new contract to remain at the Catalan club until 2021. According to the new deal, his buyout clause is worth 700m euros (£626m).
Since joining the club at the age of 13, Messi, now 30, has helped Barcelona win eight Spanish league titles and won the Champions League four times.
Messi, whose previous deal was due to expire next year, has scored 523 goals in 602 appearances for the club.
The Argentine was presented with his fourth European Golden Shoe on Friday after scoring 37 times in the Spanish league last season.
In a statement, the club said Messi “still has a lot more to give, which is music to the ears of all Barca fans who will get to continue marvelling at his greatness”.
Club president Josep Maria Bartomeu said, “We are in luck with the Barça players. We continue to enjoy the best player in the history of football.”
Below is a brief stats on the player
- 361 La Liga record goals
- 40 career hat-tricks (36 for Barcelona, 4 for Argentina)
- 30 trophies with the club
- 8 La Liga titles
- 4 Champions League titles