Paris Saint-Germain have announced that veteran defender Sergio Ramos will join Lionel Messi in leaving the club at the end of the season.

Ramos, who was 37 at the time, moved to the French capital in 2021. He had won a lot of awards with Real Madrid, including four Champions Leagues.

“We would like to express our immense gratitude to Sergio Ramos for the two years he has spent with us,” PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi said in a statement.

“Sergio’s leadership, team spirit and professionalism, combined with his experience at the highest level, make him a true football legend, and it was an honour to have him in Paris.

“Everyone at the club wishes him all the best,” Al-Khelaifi added.

The news came less than 24 hours before PSG hosts Clermont in their last Ligue 1 game of the season.

Messi, who won the World Cup in 2022 with Argentina, has already left the Parc des Princes, and reports say that Brazil’s Neymar may also leave.

“Tomorrow is a special day, tomorrow I will say goodbye to another stage of my life, goodbye to @psg,” Ramos said on social media.

“I don’t know in how many places one can feel at home, but without a doubt PSG, the fans, and Paris were one of them for me.

“Thank you for two special years in which I was able play in every tournament and give my all,” he added.

The former Sevilla defender won Ligue 1 twice in Paris, where he played 57 games. On June 30, his contract with PSG will end.

After getting hurt a lot during Mauricio Pochettino’s first season in charge, 44 of those appearances have come this season.

Ramos, who won the 2010 World Cup with Spain, and Messi both came to PSG in the same summer hoping to win the Champions League, but they were both eliminated in the 16th round.

Messi has been talked about going to Inter Miami and a club in Saudi Arabia. He has also been talked about going back to Barcelona.

Later on Friday, the newspaper L’Equipe said that PSG manager Christophe Galthier will also leave the club after the game this weekend.

Even though Galthier’s team won the league title this year, he has been judged on how well he did in European competition.

Reports say that PSG is interested in getting Real Madrid forward Marco Asensio and Inter Milan defender Milan Skriniar for next season. Another summer of rebuilding is about to start.

Photo by EPA/KIMIMASA MAYAMA