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Soccer superstar Lionel Messi is leaving FC Barcelona, his longtime club announced on Thursday.
The stunning move marks the end of an era for the soccer legend, who has spent his entire career at Barcelona, notching over a dozen combined La Liga and Champions League titles and winning the Ballon d'Or award as Europe's top player six times.
Barcelona said in its statement that the club and Messi had reached an agreement to keep him on the team, but "financial and structural obstacles" had stopped it from going through.
"Both parties deeply regret that the wishes of the player and the club will ultimately not be fulfilled," the club said. "FC Barcelona wholeheartedly expresses its gratitude to the player for his contribution to the aggrandizement of the club and wishes him all the very best for the future in his personal and professional life."
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