Lionel Messi unable to remain at FC Barcelona, ending legendary two-decade run
The Lionel Messi era at FC Barcelona has come to a close, the club announced Thursday.
In a statement on the team's website, Barcelona cited "financial and structural obstacles" due to league regulations prevented the team and club from finalizing an agreed-upon contract.
Here is the statement in full:
Despite FC Barcelona and Lionel Messi having reached an agreement and the clear intention of both parties to sign a new contract today, this cannot happen because of financial and structural obstacles (Spanish Liga regulations).
As a result of this situation, Messi shall not be staying on at FC Barcelona. Both parties deeply regret that the wishes of the player and the club will ultimately not be fulfilled.
FC Barcelona wholeheartedly expresses its gratitude to the player for his contribution to the aggrandisement of the club and wishes him all the very best for the future in his personal and professional life.
Messi's contract with the club expired on July 1, making him a free agent.
However, despite Messi having expressed his desire to leave Barcelona in the summer of 2020, the expectation was both sides would reach an agreement after he played out the remainder of his existing deal.
As Barcelona spelled out above, that is no longer presently feasible.
Messi had been a part of the club since joining the youth team as a 13-year-old in 2000. Since making his senior debut in 2004, the 34-year-old has won everything there is to win in domestic soccer with Barca.
His 10 La Liga trophies, four UEFA Champions League trophies and seven Copa del Rey trophies are just a sampling of the 35 honors he's achieved with the team in more than two decades in Spain.
On an individual basis, the Argentine has taken home a record six Ballon d'Or trophies, the most all time.
Messi scored a record 672 goals and 288 assists in 778 appearances for Barcelona, all of which, unsurprisingly, are club records.
Now, it appears the Barcelona legend will suit up for the first time as a professional in a different jersey.
And despite no longer being a young pup, Messi proved he's still one — if not the — best in the world at his craft. He won La Liga's Pichichi Trophy as the league's top scorer (the eighth of his career and his fifth in a row) with 30 league goals this past season.
Here's what FOX Sports Soccer Analyst Alexi Lalas had to say on the matter:
"This is a stark reminder of the business realities and challenges that the pandemic has created from leagues and clubs, especially for those who may have mismanaged their business in the past. Messi has spent most of his life cradled in the warmth, comfort, and safety of the Barcelona cocoon. It has nurtured him and enabled him to become arguably the greatest player to ever live. Barca and Messi are forever joined … at least, I thought so.
"It’s hard to picture a scenario where he is wearing another shirt, for another team, in another country and league. Having said that, Messi — free of the Barca bubble and as a stranger in a strange land — is something I will definitely tune in to see."
Here is how the soccer world reacted to the bombshell on social media:
This is a developing story.