Lionel Messi. -Photo by Reuters

MADRID: Barcelona have reached agreement on new contracts with key squad members Lionel Messi, Xavi and Carles Puyol, the La Liga leaders said on Tuesday.

Messi's contract has been extended by two years to June 30, 2018, while 34-year-old club captain Carles Puyol has agreed a three-year extension to June 30, 2016, Barca said in a statement on their website (www.fcbarcelona.com).

Xavi's existing deal ran until June 2016 depending on appearances but the 32-year-old midfielder's new contract will end then regardless of the number of times he plays, they added.

“Carles Puyol, Xavi Hernandez and Leo Messi will sign their respective new contracts individually in the coming weeks,” the statement said.

Opinion

Editorial

Missing in action
17 Mar, 2026

Missing in action

NOT exactly known for playing a proactive role in protecting the interests of Muslim nations and populations...
Risk to stability
Updated 17 Mar, 2026

Risk to stability

THE risks to Pakistan’s fragile economic recovery from the US-Israel war on Iran cannot be dismissed. Yet the...
Enrolment push
17 Mar, 2026

Enrolment push

THE federal government has embarked upon the welcome initiative to enrol 25,000 out-of-school children in Islamabad...
Holding the line
16 Mar, 2026

Holding the line

PAKISTAN’S long battle against polio has recently produced encouraging signs. Data from the national eradication...
Power self-reliance
Updated 16 Mar, 2026

Power self-reliance

PAKISTAN’S transition to domestic sources of electricity is a welcome development for a country that has long been...
Looking for safety
16 Mar, 2026

Looking for safety

AS the Middle East conflict enters its third week, the war’s most enduring victims are not those who wage it....