FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 - Argentina Training - Qatar University Training Site 3, Doha, Qatar - December 8, 2022 Argentina's Lionel Messi during training REUTERS/Dylan Martinez
(Reuters) - Paris St Germain President Nasser Al-Khelaifi said Lionel Messi is happy at the Ligue 1 champions and they will open discussions about a possible contract extension after the World Cup.
Messi, who has 12 goals and 14 assists for PSG in all competitions this season, moved to PSG from Barcelona in 2021 on a two-year contract, which expires in the summer.
When asked if the 35-year-old is interested in extending his stay in Paris, Al-Khelaifi told Sky Sports, "definitely".
"He performed fantastic this season for us, he's scored a lot of goals and assists for the national team and for the club," he added.
"So what we agreed together - that after the World Cup, sit down together. But both sides - our side of the club and him - are very happy, so we will talk after the World Cup."
Another player out of contract this summer is Manchester United's Marcus Rashford, who was previously linked with a move to PSG in the close season.
Al-Khelaifi said "every club" would be interested in signing the England international on a free transfer and that PSG had spoken to him previously.
"But the moment was not a good moment for both sides," he said.
"Today if he's a free agent of course we can talk to him directly but we are not going to talk to him now. Let him focus on the World Cup. Then after in January, hopefully, if we're interested we will talk to him."
(Reporting by Aadi Nair in Bengaluru; Editing by Peter Rutherford)
