Ninety-nine words to wipe out 21 years walking hand in hand... not to mention 810 professional games, 683 goals, 10 Liga titles, seven Copas del Rey, four Champions League crowns and three FIFA Club World Cups.
Barcelona's terse statement on Thursday appears to leave no doubt, right down to the headline on the club website -- Leo Messi not staying at FC Barcelona -- that arguably the greatest single club career of any player ever has come to an end.
- Sources: Messi's Barcelona deal in limbo But, as with Messi's own "Burofax" incident less than 12 months ago, there's more here than meets the eye.
- Social media reacts to Messi news
- Messi timeline: Breaking down his 20 years at Barcelona