8 Feb 2013

Messi staying at Barca for another five years

11:30 am on 8 February 2013

World Footballer of the Year Lionel Messi has signed a new contract with Barcelona which will keep him in Spain until 2018.

The 25-year-old penned a deal agreed in December, which includes a two-year extension on his previous agreement and secures his services until he is 31.

The Argentina captain joined Barcelona's youth academy as a 13-year-old and made his first-team debut at 16.

Messi is Barca's leading scorer of all time, he has been the top scorer in the Champions League for the last four years and racked up a calendar year record 91 goals for club and country in 2012.