Leo Messi and his family are devastated

Leo Messi and his family still can't believe what has happened. Having played 836 matches for Barça (778 official matches and 58 friendlies) in which he scored 709 goals, the Argentina captain will no longer dazzle the Camp Nou crowds as a Barcelona player. He was convinced that everything was in place for him to sign a new contract and that he would remain a Barcelona player for at least the next two seasons. After this week's negotiations fell through, he was left immensely disappointed.

He arrived from his holidays in Ibiza on Wednesday, ready to sign his last contract with the club. He was looking forward to committing the rest of his career to the club, particularly after winning the Copa América with Argentina this summer, and being reacquainted with teammates old and new, including one of his best friends Sergio Aguero.

However, the bombshell arrived when Barça president Joan Laporta informed his father, Jorge, that the club would not be able to register the player with LaLiga due to structural and economic problems.

Shocked

Leo could not believe that his 21-year association with FC Barcelona could come to an end in such an abrupt and unexpected manner. Not even in his worst nightmares could he have envisaged a more cruel and unfair 'adiós'. This was not the way to say goodbye to a player who truly loved the club, having placed their trust and faith in him when he was just 13 years old. He deserved so much better.

While Messi did want to leave the club last summer, with the famous 'burofax' incident, he ended up deciding to stay at Barça, the club of his life. Once he had made the decision to remain at Camp Nou until June 2021, he started to consider the prospect of finishing his career in Barcelona by signing a new two-year contract. Joan Laporta has spoken repeatedly about Messi's renewal since winning the presidential election on 7 March.

Looking to the future

The Rosario-born forward, however, is a strong and resolute individual. Once he gets over this disappointment, he will get back to winning ways. According to SPORT sources, he is planning to take a couple of days off to take stock of the situation before considering his future. If there's one thing he's sure of, it's that he wants to remain at the pinnacle of European football.