Messi pens Barcelona contract: I want to stay for life

Lionel Messi has signed his new contract with Barcelona.

Barca's superstar has put pen to paper on a new seven-year contract worth a staggering £76m.

In addition to his astronomical wages Messi now has a £225m get-out clause. Messi, 21, is expected to pick up this year's Fifa World Player of the Year award after helping Barcelona to an historic Treble last season.

The Catalan giants inserted the get-out clause to stave off the attempts of Real Madrid and City to nab the superstar.

Messi insists he will never leave the Nou Camp.

"I want to spend all my career here, in Barcelona, if it's possible," he told the club's website.

"I would love to finish at Barcelona. This contract is a result of everything that happened last year and of what I have done since coming into the first team.

"I am simply one more person in this spectacular group of players, where there is a team that is very nice, very united and in which I am simply part of continuing to win things."