PARIS: Lionel Messi was named in the Paris Saint-Germain squad for the first time on Sunday morning suggesting the breathless wait for his Ligue 1 debut could end at Reims.
Coach Mauricio Pochettino had indicated on Saturday that all three of PSG’s golden trio would be in his squad for the first time.
On Sunday he made that official, naming Neymar, who also has yet to play this season, and Kylian Mbappe in his squad for the trip to Reims for the evening match.
With two days left in the transfer window, this could be the only time the three stars play as team-mates.
While Messi, who joined PSG on August 10, is poised to say hello to French football, Mbappe could be bidding it adieu.
The World Cup winner’s future is still uncertain after Real Madrid reportedly made a bid to buy him. The rumored fee would be the biggest paid for a player by any club other than PSG.
PSG are taking 22 players to Reims, but only 11 start with nine more on the bench.
On Saturday Pochettino said Messi was “very motivated” to play.
Since it seemed unlikely the coach would take the six-time Ballon D’Or winner along and not put him on the team sheet, the question that remained tantalizingly unanswered was: whether Messi would start at the Stade Auguste-Delaune, or would he tease from the substitutes’ bench?
Messi and Neymar both missed the first two league games as they worked their way to match fitness after demanding summers. They met in the Copa America final on July 10 in Brazil as Argentina won to earn Messi his first international trophy.
They will be reunited as team-mates for the first time since PSG broke the bank to attract the Neymar for Barcelona in 2017.
The possible symbolism of Messi’s first official appearance for PSG in Reims, where French kings were traditionally crowned, was not lost on sports daily L’Equipe.
“Leo I, a king in Reims,” it wrote on its front page declaring his possible selection a “coronation.”
Le Parisien pointed to the local club’s history as home to “three of the most beautiful artists of this game.” A Reims squad led by Just Fontaine and Raymond Kopa reached the first ever European Cup final in 1956.
Lionel Messi in PSG squad for first time and poised for debut
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Lionel Messi in PSG squad for first time and poised for debut
- Coach Mauricio Pochettino had indicated that all three of PSG’s golden trio would be in his squad for the first time
‘Extra motivation’ — Williams ready to turn Dubai crowd against hometown hero Rahmani
- American fighter enters the Feb. 7 bout hoping to rebound from his August loss to Sergey Bilostenniy at the PFL World Tournament Finals in Hollywood
DUBAI: Karl Williams steps into the PFL cage in Dubai on Feb. 7 knowing exactly what he is up against. His opponent, Pouya Rahmani, carries a perfect 5-0 record and momentum from a brutal first-round finish against Slim Trabelsi in October. But the Virgin Islands heavyweight isn’t fazed by the challenge or the expected hostile crowd at Coca-Cola Arena.
“It doesn’t give me an extra motivation,” Williams said when asked about fighting in Rahmani’s adopted home. “The crowd changes according to the fight so hopefully by the end of the fight they’ll be on my side”.
Williams enters the bout looking to rebound from his August knockout loss to Sergey Bilostenniy at the PFL World Tournament Finals in Hollywood, Florida. That defeat marked the first time Williams had been stopped in his professional career, ending via a perfectly timed left hook in the second round. The fight also featured controversy when Williams was accidentally eye-poked during the sequence.
When asked about the biggest lesson he took from that loss, Williams initially joked: “Don’t get eye poked,” before adding, “but (the) biggest lesson was how to battle adversity of a loss in that manner.”
Williams holds a 10-4 professional record and went 3-1 in the UFC before signing with PFL in 2025. Known for his wrestling background and cage control, he is preparing for Rahmani the same way he approaches every fight. The Iranian-born heavyweight finished Slim Trabelsi with ground strikes at 2:47 of the first round in his most recent outing and has never seen a second round in his professional career.
“He’s not the first fighter that I have faced with similar backgrounds or accolades,” Williams explained. “I prepare like I prepare for all fights to be well-rounded and be able to counter what my opponent brings.”
He added: “He doesn’t have many fights so it’s hard to say what his openings are.”
Behind Williams’ preparation stands coach Dennis Davis, the head MMA coach at Xtreme Couture in Las Vegas. Davis has built a reputation developing fighters from the amateur ranks to championship level, coaching UFC champions Sean Strickland and Francis Ngannou, among others. Williams also credited Barbour Orthopaedics for keeping him healthy and able to perform at his best.
“Coach Danny Davis, he’s the one that dissects my game plan and my opponents and sets me up for success,” Williams said. “And Barbour Orthopaedics for making sure that I’m healthy and able to perform the way I want to.”
When asked what message he wanted to send Rahmani ahead of the fight, Williams kept it simple. “I don’t really wanna send any messages,” he said. “Once the cage locks, all will be said.”
On an optimistic note, Williams envisions his fight night in Dubai ending with “having his hand raised and going out and enjoying the wonderful city and people.”
The heavyweight bout appears on the main card below two world title fights, with Usman Nurmagomedov defending his lightweight championship against Alfie Davis in the headliner.
