And perhaps, after three aborted attempts, Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi will finally take the field in the nation’s capital. For both Barcelona visits to Washington, Messi was on vacation after completing Argentine national team duty at Copa America, the South American championship. In early 2015, the five-time world player of the year accompanied Argentina to Washington for a friendly against El Salvador at FedEx Field. Messi’s contract with Barcelona expires in June 2018 and the sides have engaged in negotiations over a new pact. Forbes ranks Barcelona ($3.55 billion) and Manchester United ($3.32 billion) as the third- and fifth-most valuable sports teams in the world, respectively.

Source: Washington Post February 24, 2017 16:01 UTC