Lionel Messi broke down in tears after he received a spine-tingling ovation from his family, former teammates and media during his farewell press conference.
Messi addressed his shock exit from Barcelona at an emotional presser at the Camp Nou on Sunday.
He explained the situation that sees him leave the La Liga club following 21 glorious years.
After giving his side of his departure, Messi received a standing ovation from everyone inside the room, with the 34-year-old reduced to tears in a hugely emotional moment.
His wife, his kids and his ex-teammates including Gerard Pique, as well as past legends, gave him a touching send off.
Lionel Messi receives a standing ovation from his team-mates and family as he bids farewell to Barcelona.
Hopefully the Blaugranas fans will be able to wish him a real goodbye soon. pic.twitter.com/njuVYCE6kI
— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) August 8, 2021
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona_cat) August 8, 2021
Standing ovation de deux minutes pour #Messi pic.twitter.com/0QH4JO7SUC
— Florent Torchut (@FlorentTorchut) August 8, 2021
On leaving Barca, he said: “The renewal? It was all done and at the last moment due to the La Liga issue, it couldn’t be done.
“It’s exactly like how Laporta explained it. I did everything possible to stay.
“Last year I didn’t want to stay and I said it. This year I wanted to stay and I couldn’t.”
Featured Image Credit: Barcelona