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Messi extends contract

Dec. 19, 2012 - 20:05 By Korea Herald
BARCELONA (AP) ― Lionel Messi agreed to a new contract with Barcelona on Tuesday that will keep him with the Spanish powerhouse through 2018.

The 25-year-old Messi, a three-time world player of the year, has 90 goals so far in 2012, surpassing Gerd Mueller’s 40-year-old record of 85 in a calendar year. Xavi Hernandez and Carles Puyol also agreed to new deals with the team.

Messi, whose contract was due to expire on June 30, 2016, extended his commitment to the club to June 30, 2018, Barcelona said in a statement.

Puyol and Xavi extended theirs to June 2016.

“This news means that FC Barcelona has secured its ties with three of its most important players,” the statement said, adding that the contracts would be signed “over the course of the next few weeks.”