Lionel Messi breaks down in tears: ‘Toughest moment of my career'.

Lionel Messi's incredible 17-season career at Barcelona appears to have come to an end. This marks one of the most heartbreaking moments for football fans. Fans around the world took to social media platforms to express their sadness. Lionel Messi wept on Sunday as he bade farewell to his boyhood team FC Barcelona and confirmed he was talking with French club Paris St Germain over a possible move. The 34-year-old Argentine’s emotional news conference followed Barca’s announcement last week that it could no longer afford him after a glittering two decades.

Messi began crying even before he started speaking at his farewell ceremony at the Camp Nou Stadium. "This is very hard for me after so many years, after being here my entire life," he said. "I wasn't prepared." Messi’s family and some of his teammates were at Camp Nou for the player’s farewell. The Barcelona legend struggled to hold himself together as he took the stage. He began the address by stating that he and his family had no intentions to leave and had been planning their future in Barcelona.

While Messi did not confirm he would definitely join the Parisians, he said his plans were to carry on playing as long as possible, adding he still harbors ambitions to win another Champions League trophy. “As long as I go on being competitive and as long as my body responds (I’ll carry on playing),” he told a news conference. “As long as I can, I will carry on competing.”

“I did everything to stay here. I agreed to reduce my salary by 50 percent.”

“We have had some good times and some bad times as well, but the love people have shown me has always been the same.”

Messi avoided speaking specifically about his future, saying he received offers from several clubs after the announcement that he would leave the Catalan club. When asked about Paris Saint-Germain, Messi admitted it was “a possibility.”

PSG declined to comment on the report that Messi would be arriving in Paris later on Sunday. “We are not in a position to confirm anything,” a club spokesman said.

“I tried to behave with humility and respect and I hope that is what remains of me when I leave the club,” said an emotional Messi as hundreds of fans, many wearing his No. 10 jersey, massed outside Barca’s Camp Nou stadium to bid farewell to the player they called Messiah.