At long last, Lionel Messi made his debut for Paris Saint-Germain last night. 

The sight of arguably the greatest footballer of all time lining up for another club side may well have been jarring but, rest assured, you would not have been alone in feeling like that. 

In fact, such is the global appeal for the Argentine forward, an estimated 10.5 million people tuned in for what was otherwise a relatively routine victory for Paris Saint-Germain away at Stade de Reims, breaking a Ligue 1 viewing record. 

Across the border in Spain, the fixture broke the record for the most-watched ever French game in history, according to French outlet L'Equipe. 

Messi's arrival could be just what French football needed. 

Indeed, Ligue 1 recently fell behind the Portuguese Primeira Liga in the UEFA coefficient rankings, meaning it is technically not considered a top five major European league anymore. 

Although Messi's arrival will surely do little to increase the competitiveness of the division, particularly amid the other signings PSG made over the course of the summer, his mere presence in the French capital is a major boost for the league. 

With Kylian Mbappe seemingly destined for Real Madrid at some point over the next year or so, being able to call on a six-time Balon d'Or winner to sponsorship and broadcast deals is surely a much-needed shot in the arm. 

Having made his bow in France, the world awaits as Messi gears up to dominate another country's goalscoring charts for the first time in his career.