FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - Champions League - Quarter Final - FC Barcelona v Bayern Munich - Estadio da Luz, Lisbon, Portugal - August 14, 2020 Barcelona's Lionel Messi in action, as play resumes behind closed doors following the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) REUTERS/Rafael Marchante/Pool
(Reuters) - Lionel Messi ended intense speculation about his future on Friday by saying he will remain with Barcelona for another year - but only because he did not want to enter a court battle with the club about his contract.
The Argentine six-times world player of the year had told the club last month that he wanted to leave, insisting a clause in his contract allowed him to do so on a free transfer.
