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It is the end of an era. Lionel Messi is leaving Barcelona.
After a long-drawn saga that witnessed explosive burofaxes, scathing interviews, and a high-profile election, Lionel Messi was set to stay at the club after Bartomeu's exit.
In a shocking turn of events, however, an official statement from the club has revealed that Barcelona will not be able to renew Lionel Messi's contract. The calm before the storm has now come to a decisive end, and Barcelona face a struggle to remain in Europe's elite without their talismanic behemoth.
Lionel Messi has given Barcelona their greatest moments
Without a shadow of a doubt, Lionel Messi is the greatest player in Barcelona's history. Messi's departure will mark the beginning of another transition period for the Catalans and will have a massive impact on La Liga's fortunes.
Lionel Messi has produced some of the greatest spectacles in Barcelona's history and has often inspired them to glory in both Spain and Europe. Here is a look at the great man's five best performances for Barcelona.
#5 Barcelona 4-1 Arsenal (UEFA Champions League 2009-10)
Lionel Messi was already renowned as a legend in the making when he faced Arsenal at 23 years of age in the UEFA Champions League. The Gunners were a formidable European force at the time and stunned the Camp Nou by taking the lead 18 minutes into the game.
Lionel Messi was in no mood for an upset, however, and equalised for Barcelona only three minutes later. The Argentine wreaked havoc with a first-half hat-trick and effectively ended the tie before it even began.
Messi went on to add a fourth goal in the 88th minute and received a stunning ovation from an ecstatic Camp Nou crowd. The young Argentine's performance garnered praise for Arsene Wenger himself, who claimed after the game that Lionel Messi would go on to become one of the best in history.
#4 Barcelona 3-2 Real Madrid (La Liga, 2016-17)
Lionel Messi has numerous great goals against an array of big teams, but he often saves his finest for Real Madrid. Barcelona have been fairly impressive in El Clasico over the past decade and have Lionel Messi to thank for much of their success.
The year 2017 saw the end of Luis Enrique's reign and the beginning of a new era at Barcelona. The Catalans found themselves level with Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu at half-time and faced a difficult battle for the league. Goals from Ivan Rakitic and James Rodriguez in the second half did add some intrigue to the tie, but they left the balance of power unchanged.
Sparking life into a football match is easier said than done, but not when you're Lionel Messi. The Barcelona legend scored an emphatic winner in stoppage-time and followed through with one of the most iconic celebrations in footballing history.
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#3 Barcelona 3-0 Bayern Munich (UEFA Champions League, 2014-15)
Of all the iconic moments Lionel Messi has produced for Barcelona in the UEFA Champions League, none can compare to his decimation of Jerome Boateng and the Bayern Munich defence. Barcelona eased to a 3-0 victory on the day after an impressive performance and Lionel Messi deservedly seized the limelight with a performance for the ages.
With the game stuck in a deadlock for 75 minutes, Lionel Messi decided to take matters into his own hands and unleashed a ruthless shot that left Manuel Neuer gasping for breath. What followed, however, would go down in history as one of the most incredible moments in the history of the UEFA Champions League.
Lionel Messi left Jerome Boateng on the floor with his supernatural dribbling skills and doubled Barcelona's lead with a sumptuous finish. The Argentine talisman also assisted Neymar's stoppage-time goal and capped off a virtually unplayable performance against one of the world's best teams.
#2 Barcelona 3-3 Real Madrid (La Liga, 2006-07)
The true sense of a Barcelona player's worth is derived solely from his achievements in El Clasico. The Catalans have shared a rivalry with Real Madrid for well over a century and clashes between them are an embodiment of Spain's footballing legacy.
It was on this stage that a 19-year-old Lionel Messi decided to announce himself to the footballing world as a bonafide modern-day great. The teenage prodigy stunned Los Blancos with three brilliant goals and scored a legendary El Clasico hat-trick to steal a point for Barcelona.
Lionel Messi tormented Iker Casillas and Sergio Ramos on the night with his magical footwork and established his credentials against Barcelona's biggest rivals. This game witnessed Messi's first legendary performance against a high-profile opponent and set the stage for over a decade of success.
#1 Barcelona 3-1 Manchester United (UEFA Champions League, 2010-11)
While Lionel Messi did score only one goal on the day, his performance against Manchester United in the UEFA Champions League final in 2011 was arguably his magnum opus. Messi was quite literally unstoppable on the day and inspired Pep Guardiola's side to one of the most memorable performances in footballing history.
Barcelona thoroughly dominated the game with Xavi and Andres Iniesta pulling the strings in midfield. Pedro opened the scoring for Barcelona but Manchester United bounced back with a Wayne Rooney equaliser before half-time.
As is usually the norm when Barcelona are not in the ascendancy, Lionel Messi stepped up with a spark of brilliance in the second half and scored a brilliant goal to restore his side's lead. Messi toyed with Manchester United for most of the game and inspired one of the greatest spectacles ever witnessed in the sport.
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