PSG Suspend Star Player Messi for Two Weeks for Saudi Trip

This week, French soccer club PSG announced that it has suspended its star player, Lionel Messi, for two weeks due to the team’s involvement in an exhibition match in Saudi Arabia. The decision follows an outcry from human rights organizations and other advocacy groups who argued the match would amount to tacit support of Saudi Arabia’s egregious human rights record.

The match in question was an exhibition match between PSG and Saudi Arabia’s Al-Nassr FC. The decision to participate drew sharp rebukes from many international organizations, who argued it would lend legitimacy to the Saudi regime’s history of human rights abuses. As a result of the outcry, PSG has now decided to suspend Messi for two weeks, though it has not officially stated the reason for the decision.

“It is a decision we take seriously in this club,” said a club representative. “Human rights are something we take seriously and we want to ensure that we are doing all we can to uphold them. We have decided to suspend Messi for two weeks to demonstrate our commitment to the principles of human rights and justice.”

The move comes as a surprise to many, as Messi is one of the team’s most valuable players. It remains to be seen how the suspension will affect the team’s performance going forward. Messi has not commented publicly on the decision.

Critics have hailed the move as a strong stand by PSG against Saudi Arabia’s human rights record, and have called on other teams and organizations to take similar steps. Human rights organizations have continued to pressure FIFA, the sport’s global governing body, to review its relationship with Saudi Arabia and to work to improve the country’s human rights record.