The two decade long association and inseparable partnership between Lionel Messi and FC Barcelona could finally be coming to an end as the Argentine star striker has informed the Spanish soccer giants that he wants to leave the club this summer, multiple media reports indicated of this rather shocking development.

According to ESPN, Barcelona FC confirmed Messi's intimation after being notified by their player of his decision via burofax, a service used in Spain to urgently dispatch a document that requires proof to third parties.

According to reports that first emerged in the Spanish media, Messi, whose contract with Barcelona ends in May 2021, faxed a message to the club on Tuesday night, asking to be released immediately by triggering a rare exit clause in his contract, which will allow making his departure from the club haste free and smooth.

Messi's decision to bid adieu to Barcelona comes 11 days after the Catalan giant's humiliating 2-8 loss to eventual champions Bayern Munich in the 2020 UEFA Champions League quarterfinals. Barcelona's shattering defeat was one of the worst losses in Messi's spell with the club history at the marquee event in European top flight football.

In September last year, it emerged that a clause in Messi’s contract allowed him to unilaterally leave the club as a free agent at the end of each season.

However, Messi's attempt to exit the club could now lead to a legal tiff between him and Barcelona over a clause in his contract. Barcelona said the document sent by Messi referenced a clause allowing him to leave for free at the end of the season. However, the club said the deadline for triggering that clause expired in June and that it would seek legal advice.

Messi (33) has a contract until 2021 but the star striker has been quite critical with the events on and off the pitch at Camp Nou in recent months which has seen Barcelona ending without a major trophy

Barcelona head coach Quique Setien was sacked from his post after the shattering loss to Bayern Bayern Munich in the Champions League quarterfinals. The club hired Ronald Koeman to replace Setien, with the Dutchman expressing his strong desire to keep Messi at Camp Nou.

Messi met with Setien's replacement, Ronald Koeman, last week, telling him that he had doubts about his future in Catalonia.

Messi has won a staggering La Liga titles with Barcelona and spearheaded the club to four Champions League titles. The Argentine star forward has broken numerous goal scoring records in his decade long stint with the club and happens to be their top goal scorer.

On an individual level, Messi has won the Ballon d'Or a record six times, including winning the World's top footballer accolades for a record four straight times between 2009 and 2012 as well as the most recent award in 2019.

Former Barcelona defender Carles Puyol, who was captain and teammate to Messi, tweeted his support to the Argentine. "Respect and admiration, Leo," wrote Puyol. "All my support, friend."