Soccer superstar Lionel Messi broke down in tears during an emotional press conference where he confirmed that he is leaving his longtime club, FC Barcelona.
Messi, who is 34 years old, joined Barcelona’s famed youth academy aged 13, and is the club’s all-time top scorer and appearance maker.
“The truth is I’m leaving. I’m so grateful for the care people have shown me,” said the Argentine international during the press conference. “I never imagined having to say goodbye.”
Later, Messi confirmed that he had wanted to stay at Barcelona, but he and the club could not finalise a new contract due to league regulations.
He said that he and his family thought they would be staying in Barcelona.
Barcelona head coach Ronald Koeman and Messi’s now-former teammates were present at the press conference and gave him a standing ovation as he reached the end of his speech. At this point, Messi became increasingly emotional and stepped away from the podium as he wept.
Messi requested a transfer last summer, but withdrew that request and agreed to play one more season with the club. His contract expired at the end of the 2021 season, but he had been expected to sign a new deal with Barcelona.
Reports last month suggested that he had signed a new deal on a significantly lower wage, as the Catalan club had exceeded La Liga’s strict salary limit and needed to reduce its wage bill by €200 million ($237 million) per year to register Messi.
However, the club announced his departure on Thursday citing “financial and structural obstacles.”
Paris Saint Germain (PSG) are considered to be the favourites to sign Messi. Although he said PSG is “one possibility, there are a lot of clubs interested,” he said.
Messi scored 672 goals for Barcelona.