Messi pens three-year contract extension with Barcelona

Barcelona, July 5:  FC Barcelona star Lionel Messi will stay with the club until 2021, the Calatan giants said in a statement on Wednesday.

"Barcelona and Leo Messi have agreed on a contract renewal that will keep the Argentinian at the Club until June 30th, 2021," the team said in a statement on its official website.

"The club is very happy with both the renewal and the commitment of Messi, the best player in history, who has played his full professional career at Barca and has led the team to an era of extraordinary success, the likes of which has never been seen" in global football, the statement added.

This will be Messi's ninth professional contract which ties him down to the Spanish giants until he is 34.

Messi joined Barcelona way back in 2001 from Newell's Old Boys. The Argentina player made his first team debut against Espanyol in 2004 and has since gone on to capture 30 trophies with the club.

He won eight Spanish La Liga titles and four Champions League crowns.

Messi is also the top scorer in the club's history (507) and in La Liga history (349), and has been named the world's best player on five occasions.