On Thursday, there were quite a few bombshells in the sporting world as a whole. First and foremost, MotoGP legend Valentino Rossi announced his retirement. A few hours after that, news broke that Argentina footballing superstar, Lionel Messi, will no longer continue his career with FC Barcelona.

This came as a shock to many, as he has spent his entire club career in Barcelona. Of course, since this is the internet, it wasn’t long before the jokes and memes came flooding in. Some sporting teams jokingly announced that they signed him or offered to sign him. Among them was NASCAR, who heard through the grapevine that he “needed a new day job.”

The six-time Ballon d’Or winner’s farewell speech was quite emotional. As the entire audience gave a standing ovation to the soccer legend, he broke down in tears.

What next for Lionel Messi?

Now, he will be on the hunt for another club to acquire his services. Several names have already been thrown into the hat, including Premier League giants, Manchester City. However, the favorite to sign Messi is Ligue 1 titans, Paris Saint-Germain.

If he does head to PSG, he will face a potential reunion with former Barcelona teammate, Neymar Jr. In addition to that, he could be part of one of the most lethal front three line-ups. To be precise, he will link up with Neymar and French superstar, Kylian Mbappe. Furthermore, he will also be teammates with compatriots, Angel di Maria, Mauro Icardi and Leandro Paredes.

On an interesting note, Lionel Messi will also partner a couple of players from long-time rival club, Real Madrid. To be precise, he will share a dressing room with Keylor Navas and Sergio Ramos. Nevertheless, the Argentine superstar will close the chapter on his FC Barcelona career and open a new one. Whether it will be with Paris Saint-Germain or another team, is anybody’s guess.

READ MORE: Why is Lionel Messi leaving Barcelona?