Lionel Messi is expected to make his Paris Saint-Germain debut against Reims in Ligue 1 on Sunday.
The former Barcelona forward brought the curtain down on a glittering Camp Nou career in particularly wounded circumstances earlier this year following the club's inabiility to re-sign him.
Now, the attacker, who has headlined an influx of major talents at Parc des Princes this summer, is fast approaching a maiden match in their colours.
Here's how to catch Lionel Messi in action with PSG from India:
On this page
- Will Messi make his PSG debut in Reims?
- How to watch Messi's PSG debut in India?
- PSG's Ligue 1 fixtures this year
- Other key PSG fixtures this year
Will Lionel Messi make his PSG debut in Reims?
PSG boss Mauricio Pochettino has not given away any hints whether or not Messi will start alongside Kylian Mbappe and Neymar in Reims on Sunday.
"They have trained well and we will analyse, we have not yet given the group. They will surely be part of the group but we do not know yet if they will play from the start. We have to analyse and see if he (Messi) can be in the team, then we will communicate the group. It's normal that there are doubts," he said.
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With possibilities of the 34-year-old featuring in some capacity against Reims, the Argentine manager has backed his compatriot to adapt to live in France.
"We don't have high expectations at the beginning because he (Messi) has to discover and adapt to his new club, his new life and his teammates. Ligue 1 is more open with more space and physicality than La Liga. We have a team to keep possession of the ball. But we have the best player in the world. He is a great professional. Messi knows this type of game but he can bring himself to any type of situation."
How to watch Lionel Messi's PSG debut in India?
Reliance-backed Viacom18 Media have won the rights to broadcast Ligue 1 in India.
VH1, the flagship channel of Viacom18, will air Ligue 1 matches exclusively in the upcoming season along with select national and regional network channels. TV5 Monde also broadcasts select matches in India.
Ligue 1 will also be available for streaming through Voot Select and JioTV.
PSG's Ligue 1 fixtures this year:
Heading into Matchday 4 of the 2021-21 Ligue 1 season, having scored 10 goals and conceding five, PSG are atop the standings with a 100 percent record. Enough to say that Messi and co. are overwhemingly the early favourites for the French league title.
| Date | Time (IST) | Match | TV Channel/stream* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 30 | 12:15am | Reims vs PSG | TV5 Monde/Colors |
| Sep 12 | TBD | PSG vs Clermont Foot | TV5 Monde/Colors |
| Sep 20 | 12:15am | PSG vs Lyon | TV5 Monde/Colors |
| Sep 22 | TBD | Metz vs PSG | TV5 Monde/Colors |
| Sep 26 | TBD | PSG vs Montpellier | TV5 Monde/Colors |
| Oct 3 | TBD | Rennes vs PSG | TV5 Monde/Colors |
| Oct 17 | TBD | PSG vs Angers | TV5 Monde/Colors |
| Oct 24 | TBD | Marseille vs PSG | TV5 Monde/Colors |
| Oct 31 | TBD | PSG vs Lille | TV5 Monde/Colors |
| Nov 7 | TBD | Bordeaux vs PSG | TV5 Monde/Colors |
| Nov 21 | TBD | PSG vs Nantes | TV5 Monde/Colors |
| Nov 28 | TBD | St-Etienne vs PSG | TV5 Monde/Colors |
| Dec 1 | TBD | PSG vs Nice | TV5 Monde/Colors |
| Dec 5 | TBD | Lens vs PSG | TV5 Monde/Colors |
| Dec 12 | TBD | PSG vs Monaco | TV5 Monde/Colors |
| Dec 22 | TBD | Lorient vs PSG | TV5 Monde/Colors |
*Ligue 1 matches may be streamed online on Voot/JioTV.
Other key PSG fixtures this year:
Paris Saint-Germain will take on Manchester City in one of the biggest ties of the Champions League group stage this season.
Having been so closely linked with a move to City prior to choosing PSG, now Messi will lead his new employers against the Premier League champions in Group A, with RB Leipzig and Club Brugge also drawn alongside the two giants.
When are PSG's Champions League Group A clashes?
| Date | Time (IST) | Match |
|---|---|---|
| Sep 16 | 12:30am | Club Brugge vs PSG |
| Sep 29 | 12:30am | PSG vs Man City |
| Oct 20 | 12:30am | PSG vs RB Leipzig |
| Nov 4 | 1:30am | RB Leipzig vs PSG |
| Nov 25 | 1:30am | Man City vs PSG |
| Dec 7 | 1:30am | PSG vs Club Brugge |
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