Lionel Messi, 34, broke down in tears as he confirmed that he was leaving FC Barcelona but said he hasn’t yet decided on his future.
He couldn’t hold back his tears as he said during a news conference: “As long as I go on being competitive and as long as my body responds (I’ll carry on playing).
“As long as I can, I will carry on competing.”
“I tried to behave with humility and respect and I hope that is what remains of me when I leave the club,” Messi added.
The Argentine superstar has spent his entire career at Barcelona but the club said it could no longer afford to pay for his high wages.
According to French newspaper L’Equipe, Messi will travel to the French capital to finalize his deal with the Qatar Sports Investment-owned club.
He did not confirm whether he would join the Parisians but suggested his next move would be to Barcelona’s European rival.
“Honestly, when the elections happened (in March), I spoke with (club president Joan) Laporta, we had dinner and after that I was convinced I would be staying,” Messi expressed.
“My contract was never the issue… What I know is that I did everything I could. The club say it could not happen because of LaLiga.
“I can guarantee you that I did everything I could to stay. Last year I didn’t want to and I said that, but this year it was different.”
Fans gathered outside Barca’s Nou Camp stadium to say goodbye to the player they call the Messiah.
“This year, my family and I were convinced we were going to stay at home, that’s what we all wanted more than anything,” he added.
“We’d always made this our own, we were at home. We thought we would be staying here in Barcelona. But today, we have to say goodbye to all of this.”
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