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Ever since rumors of Lionel Messi's unsettledness at Barcelona started surfacing, PSG have been right up there to take advantage of the Argentine's expiring contract. The French outfit came really close to acquiring Messi's services last season when the latter made his desire to leave Catalonia public. At the time, Barcelona succeeded in keeping their talisman at bay, due to a technicality in his contract, preventing Messi from leaving for free on his own accord.
Nevertheless, things have quickly turned sour and in an unfortunate turn of events, the Catalan club were forced to release their all-time top scorer, this time against the Argentine's wishes. And yet again, PSG seem to be his favorite destination.
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Barcelona and PSG over the years
A Champions League edition without hosting at least one match between Barcelona and PSG seems unfathomable, with the two European stalwarts having met on 12 different occasions in the competition's history.
10 of the aforementioned encounters came in the form of various knockout games, while the remaining two came when both teams were drawn in the same group in 2015. At the time of writing, PSG and Barcelona seem to share the spoils with each side winning four and drawing four. An ancient rivalry indeed.
Coincidentally, several players have bridged the divide by playing for both clubs in the past. With Lionel Messi almost certain to join PSG, let's have a look at 5 other great players to have played for both Barcelona and the French giants:
#5 Maxwell
Rated highly as a professional and as a person by his acquaintances, Maxwell is famously known for the amount of trophies he managed to amass in his 16-year-long career.
Born in Cachoeiro de Itapemirim in Brazil, the sturdy left-back came through the ranks of local club Cruzeiro before catching the eye of Ajax. Having already racked up six trophies during his time in Amsterdam, Maxwell went on to play for Inter, Barcelona and PSG in succession.
37 notable accolades and 16 years later, the enigmatic Brazilian retired in 2017, having last played for PSG. The diminutive attacking full-back has been a dependable option for every team he played for, boasting a total of 564 career appearances at the time of his retirement.
#4 Dani Alves
Completing a duopoly of full-backs, Dani Alves has firmly established his legacy as one of the best right-backs of the modern generation. The Brazilian spent the prime of his career with Barcelona, only leaving the Catalans in 2016 after winning everything there is to win at club level.
The Brazilian defender, like his compatriot Maxwell, was at the center of two treble-winning Barcelona sides. Having exuded immense potential in his initial years with Sevilla, Alves secured a record-breaking move to the Camp Nou for a mouth-watering fee of €35.5m. He was instrumental in establishing the Catalans' continental supremacy in the 2010s and departed the club after eight loyal years.
After spending two seasons with Juventus, Alves moved to PSG to reunite with his former teammate Neymar in 2017. The 38-year-old star defender recently signed for Sau Paulo in his native Brazil, having served all two years of his PSG contract.
Also read: Firsts and lasts for Lionel Messi at Barcelona
#3 Zlatan Ibrahimovic
Zlatan Ibrahimovic's distinguished CV includes the likes of Juventus, Inter, Barcelona, AC Milan, Manchester United, and PSG. A quintessential journeyman, the big Swede has never committed to a long-term project at a single club, with Ibrahimovic's four-year stay in Paris being the lengthiest of his career.
Considered arrogant by some and confident by others, Ibrahimovic has his fair share of critics who often question his larger-than-life personality. Nevertheless, the Swedish international has never failed to answer his doubters on the pitch, proving his worth in every country that his elongated career path has taken him to.
After making a name for himself, with Jose Mourinho's Inter, Ibrahimovic was snapped up by Barcelona in a monstrous €69.5m move which saw Samuel Eto'o go in the opposite direction. However, after only one season in Catalonia, the 39-year-old was shipped out to AC Milan. Ibrahimovic became PSG's marquee signing in 2012, going on to become the club's all-time top scorer in just four years.
#2 Neymar
The transfer that changed the face of football forever, Neymar's controversial move from Barcelona to PSG in 2017 paved the way for the inflated market values we witness nowadays. This deal was especially jarring for the Catalans since, until then, a transfer to Barcelona was deemed to be the defining moment in a player's career. Barcelona have experienced a sharp decline in their status as a European powerhouse ever since Neymar's departure to PSG.
However, things haven't gone as planned for the flamboyant winger either. The sole purpose of his move, other than the huge sums of money involved, was to get out of Lionel Messi's shadow and become the leading man in a team. Slated to inherit the Argentine's dominance at the Ballon d'Or awards, Neymar is yet to win the greatest individual honor in football.
Now 29, the Brazilian forward has not been a failure by any means. On the contrary, his numbers with PSG have been astounding, to say the least. In just 116 appearances for the Parisians, Neymar has managed to score a whopping 87 goals and assist another 52 in a span of four years.
However, PSG haven't been able to assert their dominance on the continental stage, something a €222m signing is expected to lead his club to.
#1 Ronaldinho
Pipping Neymar to first place is none other than the majestic Ronaldinho. With a career trajectory in sharp contrast to his compatriot's, Ronaldinho moved to Barcelona from PSG in 2003 for €32.25m. In Spain, the enigmatic Brazilian discovered the form of his life, dismantling defences for fun on a regular basis.
During his first presidential campaign, Joan Laporta promised to bring David Beckham to Barcelona, given that he was elected as the head of the club. However, the flashy Englishman was swayed away by Real Madrid, leaving Laporta with Ronaldinho as his backup signing. However, the mishap turned out to be a blessing in disguise as the visionary Brazilian went on to have a legendary career with the Blaugrana.
The former PSG midfielder accepted the number 10 jersey with Barcelona and proved to be a more than adequate fit for the role. His ability to create and score chances out of nowhere guided Barcelona to their first Champions League triumph of the millennium. The World Cup winner left the club in 2008, after laying the roots for the next generation to blossom, with Lionel Messi being his finest protégé.
Also read: 5 major reasons that led to Lionel Messi leaving Barcelona
