Messi and wife Antonela suffered 'breakdown' after finding out about Barcelona exit

It has been a massively tumultuous week for the Messi family. The departure from Barcelona and subsequent move to Paris has sent the family through a rollercoaster of emotions. For the first time, Lionel Messi has revealed exactly what happened after he found out that he would have to leave his club of over two decades.

Messi shared that he was not present at the meeting between his father and Barcelona president Joan Laporta last Thursday. He had expected his new contract to be signed and finalized, but Jorge Messi arrived with completely the opposite news.

He narrated the story to BBC's Guillem Balague, saying that he received the news at home. "He'd been in to see [Barcelona president Joan] Laporta and when he came back, he told me and wanted to prepare me before telling Antonela and the kids."

He then shared the news with his wife, and he admitted that they both broke down in tears. Much of their concern stemmed from their children, who had all grown up in Barcelona, and the parents did not want to uproot them from their home. "Because in December we'd said we were going to stay, and we knew this would be a big shock for Thiago especially," he said.

However, the six-time Ballon d'Or winner soon learned that kids are often more quick to adjust to certain situations. "A lot of the time we think too much, only for the boys to accept things in a way we hadn't expected," said Messi.

Just days later, the couple's three children were all smiles as they all wore Paris Saint-Germain jerseys at their father's presentation at his new club. Speaking further about his eldest, Messi said, "Thiago knows he's like me, that we suffer inside without saying anything. But it's also nothing too serious. He'll adapt like everyone does. It's going to be a new experience for him and he will grow personally."

Messi also revealed that he had fully expected to stay with the Catalan giants, and did not have a back-up plan in place. He admitted feeling anxious about his future when he found out that he didn't have a club.

Luckily, talks progressed quickly with the French outfit. "Once the agreement with PSG was done I could only look forward. We'll now start to prepare ourselves individually and as a family for this change," he concluded.