Lionel Messi was overlooked for the Ligue 1 Team of the Season after his dad admitted he "hopes" his son returns to Barcelona "some day".
The Argentine has netted just six domestic goals across 26 appearances – including twice at Montpellier this weekend - since his move to the Parc des Princes from Barcelona last summer. PSG completed their Ligue 1 title success in April but fans are so disillusioned with their side at the moment that they did not want to celebrate the triumph with the players.
That followed the supporters' major protest at a Ligue 1 clash against Rennes in which they blasted the 'overpaid mercenaries' on their books and attacked the board. Further, Mauricio Pochettino was booed by large sections of the home crowd when his name was read out ahead of kick-off before the title was secured amid reports that he is set to leave the club.
In March, PSG fans booed Lionel Messi and Neymar during the club's first Ligue 1 match following their elimination from the Champions League by Real Madrid at the last-16 stage. The two South American superstars were jeered with every touch of the ball they had against Bordeaux. Those boos came just a day after PSG ultras called on president Nasser Al-Khelaifi to resign following their club's latest European humbling.
Messi’s frustrating season has seen him not including in Ligue 1’s official Team of the Season and while four of his teammates were included, his close friend and attacking partner Neymar was also excluded from the side.
Unsurprisingly, Kylian Mbappe leads the line for the Team of the Season and he is joined by three other PSG stars; captain Marquinhos, wing-back Nuno Mendes and, perhaps most surprisingly of all, goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma. The Italian international has featured in just 17 of the club’s 37 league games to date and has been behind Keylor Navas in the pecking order, but he has nevertheless been selected.
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Marseille duo William Saliba – on a season-long loan deal from Arsenal – and playmaker Dimitri Payet are also in the side, while Monaco are also represented by two players. Midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni and striker Wissam Ben Yedder were both in the side, which was completed by Lens pair Jonathan Clauss and Seko Fofana with Rennes striker Martin Terrier also in.
The player’s struggles in the French capital have prompted questions over his future. Messi’s father, Jorge, was quizzed about his son pulling on the Barca shirt again by the Jijantes FC Twitch account and left the door open by responding: "I hope it [happens], some day."
Barcelona president Joan Laporta has also discussed the prospect of Messi returning to Barcelona - but only as a guest to visit Camp Nou when it has been revamped. "My communication with Messi is no longer fluid but I'd love to have Leo here present with us during the inauguration of the new stadium," Laporta told Catalan outlet RAC 1 earlier this year.
"Camp Nou will always be his home. His departure to PSG? We did what we had to do [last summer]." Laporta added: "I've received no message from Messi or his agents over a possibility of returning back to Barcelona. As of today, we are not going to be raising this issue."
Messi was at the double as PSG defeated Montpellier 4-0 in their penultimate game of the season, having already wrapped up the Ligue 1 title. The champions face Metz in their final game of the season.
