Lionel Messi is no longer an FC Barcelona player.
The Argentine legend whose contract ended in June 2021 was tipped to sign a new deal at the Camp Nou this summer, but structural and financial regulations meant that the negotiations reached a point of no return.
The Blaugrana had to unwillingly part with arguably their greatest player of all time, sending the internet into a complete meltdown.
Messi’s 21-year stay (including La Masia tenure) at the club ended in less-than-spectacular fashion, a farewell that hardly did justice to the 34-year-old and his legacy wearing Blaugrana colours.
While the internet mourned one of the most well-known ‘one-club men’ leaving the club that he was almost synonymous with, there was an ascension to the throne for the title of the longest-serving ‘one-club man’.
Messi’s departure from Barcelona meant that Mark Noble was now the longest-serving ‘one-club man’ in the top five European leagues – having played in the colours of West Ham for 16 years, making 461 appearances for the East London outfit.
The longest-serving one-club player in Europe’s top five leagues…#MrWestHam
— West Ham United (@WestHam) August 6, 2021pic.twitter.com/FXL865rHhm
Just as Messi was for Barcelona, Noble is Mr West Ham through and through, having worn claret and blue for as long as some of us can remember – and now the Englishman is a record-breaker in Europe.
Noble now tops a very decorated list of active players who have represented the same club for the entirety of their careers.
Here’s the updated list of currently active ‘one-club men’ in top 5 European leagues –
| Player | Club | Debut |
| Mark Noble | West Ham United | 2005 |
| Sergio Busquets | Barcelona | 2008 |
| Thomas Muller | Bayern Munich | 2008 |
| Marcel Schmelzer | Borussia Dortmund | 2008 |
| Tony Jantschke | Borussia Monchengladbach | 2008 |
| Iker Muniain | Athletic Bilbao | 2009 |
| Koke | Atletico Madrid | 2009 |
| Hugo Mallo | Celta Vigo | 2009 |
| Mario Gaspar | Villarreal | 2009 |
| Patrick Herrmann | Borussia Monchengladbach | 2009 |
| Sergi Roberto | Barcelona | 2010 |
| Nacho Fernandez | Real Madrid | 2011 |
