Lionel Messi's huge PSG commercial influence highlighted in record-breaking year

Lionel Messi‘s first season at PSG proved to be a bit of a damp squib.

It was a seismic moment in the football world when news emerged that Messi would no longer be a Barcelona player and it wasn’t long before the Parisian side offered him a new place to rest his head.

Within a matter of days, Messi’s move to the French side was sealed and we stood on the brink of a new and exciting era in the game.

On paper, the move ticked all the boxes. Messi would continue to play at the highest level of the game and would link up with Neymar and Kylian Mbappe in the process.

The thought of those three tearing it up on the same team would have been enough to send a shiver down the collective spine of defenders across the length and breadth of the continent.

Sadly, it didn’t quite go according to plan as Messi struggled to settle into his new surroundings.

Goals were hard to come by and that much-fabled partnership between himself, Neymar and Mbappe stuttered and coughed, but never truly ignited.

Of course there were flash-by moments in which Messi would remind us of his utter genius, but, considering his own stratospheric standards, those moments were worryingly few and far between.

However, while his influence on the pitch may have been somewhat muted, there can be no doubting the monumental impact he made off of it.

The simple fact of the matter is that Messi is not just a playing asset, but a commercial gem as well.

PSG knew exactly what they were getting when they signed him and the fruits of their pursuit have now been laid bare.

Per a report in SPORT, PSG enjoyed a record year in terms of income.

The club registered a record breaking €700 million of income this season with Messi also contributing massive numbers to their shirt