New on Sports Illustrated: Messi Set to Make PSG Debut vs. Reims, Mbappé Named in Starting XI Despite Transfer Talk

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Lionel Messi is in the PSG team ahead of his club debut, while Kylian Mbappé has been named in the starting lineup amid rumors of a transfer to Real Madrid.

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A new era in Paris will begin on Sunday with Lionel Messi in the team for Paris Saint-Germain ahead of what's expected to be his long-awaited debut. But another era may be ending with Kylian Mbappé, despite his being named in the starting lineup, still linked heavily with a blockbuster move to Real Madrid.

Hanging over Sunday's match against Reims is the fact that it could very well be the first and only time the two generational talents play on the same team.

Messi will start on the bench but is widely expected to feature for Mauricio Pochettino's side in what will be his first game for a club other than Barcelona since 2000, when he played as an academy player for his hometown side Newell's Old Boys. The 34-year-old star joined PSG earlier this month after his stunning exit from Barcelona, which couldn't keep Messi due to the club's financial troubles. 

As unlikely as it seems with PSG entering the season as the heavy European favorites, PSG sporting director Leonardo confirmed earlier this week that Mbappé wants to leave for Real Madrid. 

After PSG rejected a €160 million ($188.1 million) bid from Real last week, the Spanish giants reportedly returned with a €180 million ($212 million) offer that equals what PSG paid Monaco for the forward in 2018. It's an astonishing figure given that Mbappé's contract is set to expire in June, when he can leave the club on a free transfer. 

Real Madrid has two days left to secure a deal for Mbappé ahead of Tuesday's summer transfer deadline. The 22-year-old has scored 133 goals in 174 games for PSG and also won the 2018 World Cup as a 19-year-old with France. 

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