Fans of Argentine professional footballer, Lionel “Leo” Andrés Messi have been thrown into a state of shock after Catalonian giant, Barcelona confirmed that he will be leaving the club , as his contract is not being renewed.

Often considered the best player in the world and widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time, Messi has spent his entire professional career with Barcelona, where he won a club-record 34 trophies, including ten La Liga titles and four UEFA Champions Leagues.

Unfortunately, due to LaLiga regulations, Barcelona won’t be able to sign Messi for the upcoming year. He is simply too expensive for them, and if he were to get re-signed, Barcelona would be breaking various salary cap regulations.

In a statement, Barcelona explained just how regrettable this situation is.

Barcelona wrote;

“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, who is often referred to as the “God of football”, has won a record six Ballon d’Or awards and six European Golden Shoes.

He also holds the records for most goals in La Liga (474), a La Liga and European league season (50), most hat-tricks in La Liga (36) and the UEFA Champions League (8), and most assists in La Liga (192), a La Liga and European league season (21).

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