As of last Wednesday, 24 hours before global soccer was jolted by Lionel Messi’s departure from FC Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain was a formidable contender to win multiple trophies this season.
Over the summer, Les Parisiens strengthened an already potent roster by acquiring Italian goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma and three other high-end players — ambitious moves in response to finishing second in France’s Ligue 1 last season and falling narrowly short of its first UEFA Champions League trophy in each of the past two years.
Then the Messi news broke, and PSG, one of the few clubs able to afford the Argentine superstar, made its biggest move yet.