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After Tearful Departure, Cheers Greet Messi in Paris

PARIS — When Lionel Messi said goodbye to Barcelona, his home since childhood and the place he grew to become one of soccer’s greatest ever players, he was in tears.

Three days later, when he was formally introduced on Wednesday by his new club, Paris St.-Germain, any tears in the crowd were expressions of joy.

And Messi, carrying his new jersey, traded the heavy emotions for a light smile.

“I still want to play and I still want to win,” he said at a news conference on Wednesday, sitting next to P.S.G.’s president, Nasser al-Khelaifi.