Lionel Messi: Football superstar joins Neymar and Mbappé at PSG

How Messi might look in PSG colours

Lionel Messi - described as the greatest footballer of all time - is signing for French team Paris Saint-Germain.

It comes after the Argentine forward left Spanish club Barcelona earlier this week - the club he has been with for 21 years, since the age of 13.

After Barcelona couldn't afford to renew Messi's contract, he was able to join a different team for free, meaning another club doesn't need to pay Barca any money to sign him.

Signing for PSG, Messi said: "I am impatient to start a new chapter of my career in Paris. The club and its vision are in perfect harmony with my ambitions,

"I know how talented the players and staff are here. I am determined to build, alongside them, something great for the club and for the fans. I can't wait to set foot on the Parc des Princes pitch."

Meanwhile Neymar, who played with Messi at Barcelona before moving to PSG in 2017, posted on his Instagram saying: "Back together".

The G.O.A.T?

Many football fans call Messi 'the goat' which stands for 'greatest of all time'.

He scored a record 672 goals in 778 games for Barcelona and won the Ballon d'Or award for the world's best player a record six times, lifting 35 trophies with the Spanish club in the process.

However, it was after Barca couldn't afford a new contract for Messi under Spanish League rules, that it was announced that he would be unable to continue his career with the team.

Why did Messi leave Barcelona?

The 34-year-old had hoped to stay at the club for another five years and offered to reduce the amount he was paid at the club by half.

But Barcelona needed to sell players to fund the deal in order to meet La Liga's money rules.

PSG's Neymar posted this image on Instagram with the caption 'Back Together'. The Brazilian played alongside Messi from 2013-2017 before his £200m move to France

These rules stops clubs spending more money than they can afford which can put them in debt, owing money which can lead to big problems in the future.

Barcelona haven't sold any big players, and couldn't find a way to afford a new deal, so Messi had to go.

Announcing his departure, a tearful Messi said: "I didn't want to leave, but I have to. And I want to keep winning. That's my mentality. I want to win."

Barcelona last won Europe's top competition, the Champions League in 2015.

It's a cup that PSG have never won, but they now boast one of the best line-ups in world football.

Messi joins other new signings in Paris this summer including former Real Madrid captain Sergio Ramos, ex-Liverpool midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum and Italy's penalty hero at the Euros, goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma.

Messi joins a front three alongside the two most expensive players of all time, Brazilian Neymar and French striker Kylian Mbappe. The trio have already been nicknamed 'MNM'

The Argentine forward also adds to one of the best attacking forces in Europe, in a front three alongside the two most expensive players of all time, Brazilian Neymar and French striker Kylian Mbappé.

The new PSG trio have already been nicknamed 'MNM'.

Reaction to the move

Pictures of Lionel Messi are being taken down at the Nou Camp stadium in Barcelona

Speaking to the BBC, Spanish football journalist Alvaro Romeo said: "Was PSG move inevitable? Definitely. Number one Lionel Messi wasn't staying at Barca and two there's only one candidate that made a genuinely good [contract] offer for Messi.

"He thought last Thursday that he was going to sign for Barcelona and in the end Barcelona took the contract from his hands and told him they couldn't offer him that contract."

PSG fans gathered to celebrate Messi joining the club

Explaining how the fans feel in Barcelona, Romeo said: ""Very sad to be honest".

"It was all about him, the magic he could create. When I was watching Barcelona in the past I was watching Messi and ten more players. The sadness is tremendous for the city of Barcelona.

"As well you have seen many people asking Messi, begging Messi to stay... but that didn't happen and it is a tremendous loss for Barcelona and La Liga as well because let's not forget that La Liga is a brand itself.

"Lionel Messi was the best player they have."