Barcelona's Messi inks two-year contract extension

Lionel Messi had 79 goals for Barcelona and finished 2012 with 91 overall, breaking a 40-year-old record.

Alvaro Barrientos/AP

Lionel Messi signed a two-year contract extension with Barcelona on Thursday, tying him to the Spanish club until 2018.

The 25-year-old forward joined Barcelona when he was 13 and debuted with the first team three years later. He has gone on to become Barcelona's career scoring leader and won four FIFA Player of the Year awards. Since his league debut in October 2004, Barcelona has won 19 trophies for the Spanish League (five), Champions League (three), Copa del Rey (two), FIFA Club World Cup (two), Spanish Super Cup (five) and European Super Cup (two).

"I'm very happy at Barcelona, I have always said so. It's a great day," Messi said. "I don't know how I will be when I reach 31. I just go forward day by day and try to enjoy playing football here."

Barcelona announced in December that Messi, midfielder Xavi Hernandez and defender Carles Puyol had agreed to extend their contracts.

Messi said that he wanted to play for Barcelona until possibly ending his career back in his native Argentina.

"I have said before that as far as Europe goes I would like to end my career at Barcelona," he said. "I don't think about playing for any other team on the continent. That said, I don't rule out ending my playing career in Argentina."