Madrid - European champions Barcelona announced on Friday the extension of the contract of Lionel Messi until 2016. Messi, 22, was already under contract until 2014. This latest extension will make him the highest-paid player at the Camp Nou, earning around 10.5 million euros (15.46 million dollars) per season, which is slightly more than new signing Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
Messi's buyout clause, which is required by Spanish law, has been set at a staggering 250 million euros. This is the price, far and way a world record, that another club would need to pay to take the little Argentine away from Camp Nou.
The contract extension reflects how important Messi has become to Barca. He is their flagship, their hero, their idol - and their most important player, having scored 83 goals for the Catalan giants in 165 games.
After signing his new deal, Messi said that "I would like to play all my career here."
The little Argentine striker added, with his habitual modesty, that "I am just one more player here, in a spectacular group of players that is very united."
Barca have a reputation for letting their best players leave too soon - Diego Maradona, Bernd Schuster, Rivaldo, Samuel Eto'o - but are clearly determined to keep Messi for many more years.
Indeed, he will be competing in the next few years with Real Madrid stars Cristiano Ronaldo and Kaka for the European Footballer of the Year and the FIFA World Player awards.
Few people expected Messi to become so important when he first came to Barca in 2001 from his hometown of Rosario in Argentina, aged just 14, as a skinny, undersized winger.
Barca quickly built up his body with vitamins and proteins, and polished up his astonishing dribbling skills.
Coach Frank Rijkaard gave him his first-team debut in 2004, cleverly placing him out on the right wing and giving him instructions to cut inside, instead of going down the line, with his talented left foot.
Aged just 19, Messi helped Barca to win the Spanish Liga and the Champions League in 2006 (although he missed the final with a torn muscle)- and played at the World Cup finals for Argentina.
The best, however, was yet to come.
Last season Messi took the footballing world by storm, leading Barca to an unprecedented "triple" of Liga, King's Cup and Champions League.
He turned in an astonishing performance in the Champions final against Manchester United, rising to head in the crucial second goal on a centre from playmaker Xavi.
The only problem for Messi at the moment is the poor form of the Argentine national team, coached by the embattled Maradona.
However, he is determined to lead his country to the 2010 World Cup finals in South Africa, where he will be one of the main attractions.
