'I am thankful,' Kylian Mbappe pens thoughtful note for Lionel Messi on his birthday

Why you're reading this: Lionel Messi became a year older as the Argentine forward celebrated his 36th birthday on 24th June. Messi will leave Paris Saint-Germain on a free transfer as he is on the verge of joining MLS outfit Inter Miami. He also lifted the World Cup in Qatar last year.

3 things you need to know

• Lionel Messi joined PSG in 2021 from FC Barcelona
• During his time in France, he lifted two Ligue 1 titles
• He failed to win the Champions League with the French club

Read More: Did Lionel Messi have 'a rift' with PSG fans? World Cup-winner opens up on being booed

Kylian Mbappe pens a heartfelt note for Lionel Messi on his birthday

Kylian Mbappe and Lionel Messi's relationship garnered a lot of speculation. But everything seems to be well between the two as Mbappe took to Instagram to wish his soon-to-be former teammate a happy birthday. Mbappe used a picture from the 2022 World Cup final in the post as he wrote, "Happy birthday legend. Thank you for these 2 years together in Paris, I learned a lot from you as a player, partner, opponent and man. For that alone I am thankful. Good luck on your new adventure."

Mbappe's future too remains uncertain, as the player refused to sign an extension with the club. He does have a clause in his current contract, which will enable an extra year. But to execute it, the club will need his permission and the French forward currently has no intention of extending his deal beyond the current time frame.

Read More: Lionel Messi opens up on 'adaptation struggles' he faced during his stint for PSG

Messi too had been linked with a return to his former hunting ground Camp Nou but Barcelona failed to offer him a sporting project and the World Cup winner will now be seen on the USA soil donning the jersey of the club which happens to be co-owned by former Real Madrid and Manchester United midfielder David Beckham.

The 24-year-old incidentally was Messi's opponent when Argentina defeated France in a thrilling encounter to lift their third World Cup title in Qatar last year. Mbappe is expected to play for PSG next season unless some club comes up with a lucrative offer, which would be hard to reject.