FC Barcelona confirmed on Friday it has reached an agreement with Leo Messi to extend the striker's contract with the club.

"FC Barcelona has reached an agreement to adjust the terms in the contract binding Leo Messi to the club as a professional first-team player. The revised contract will be signed over the next few days," said a message on the Barcelona website.

Although the club has not yet released any details of the deal, it is expected the new contract will make Messi the best paid player in the world, with a salary of about $27.4 million a year, more than Cristiano Ronaldo agreed to in his recent new contract with Real Madrid.

Messi's current deal expires in 2018 and negotiations over the new contract have been ongoing for months, although they were stopped for a while after Sandro Rosell resigned as club president in January.

Despite not celebrating his 27th birthday until June, Messi has played more games for the Barca first team than any other foreigner (424) and is the club's all-time leading scorer with 354 goals.

He joined Barca as a 13-year-old and made the first team at age 16 in the 2004-05 season.

He has won 21 major titles, including six Spanish Leagues, three Champions League crowns, two Spanish Cups, two Clubs World Championships, two European Supercups and six Spanish Supercups.

Xinhua

(China Daily 05/18/2014 page11)