File photo - Lionel Messi receiving the Golden Ball 2015 during the FIFA Ballon d'Or Gala 2015 held at the Kongresshaus in Zurich, Switzerland, 11 January 2016. Argentine football star Lionel Messi has sent a letter to Barcelona informing the club that he wants to leave the team. Following the Catalan side's humiliating 8-2 defeat by Bayern Munich in the Champions League quarterfinals, club president Josep Maria Bartomeu told Barca TV: "Messi has said many times that he wants to finish career at Barca. In July 2017, Barcelona and Messi announced a contract extension that would keep Messi with the team until June 30, 2021 and is reportedly worth ?565,000 ($645,000) a week. Messi, 33, has been with the club since 2000. Photo by Henri Szwarc/ABACAPRESS.COM