Neymar pens affectionate farewell to 'brother' Lionel Messi

Paris Saint-Germain superstar Neymar Jr has taken to social media to send a farewell message to Lionel Messi, who leaves PSG at the end of the season. 

The South American duo share an excellent off-field relationship, and were teammates at Barcelona, before reuniting at the Parisian club two seasons ago. 

The Argentina international played his last official game for le Parisian last night, as his contract expires at the end of the season while Neymar's deal runs until 2025, meaning an end to their time together.  

The Brazilian star posted a picture of Messi and him in an embrace, then captioned it with the following:

"Brother, it didn't turn out as we thought, but we tried everything. It was a pleasure to share two more years with you. Good luck in your new stage, and be happy. I love you."

Messi replied to the post, thanking Neymar for their time together, and calling him an exceptional footballer and human. 

Thanks, Ney! Beyond all that remains, that we enjoyed playing together and sharing the day-to-day. I wish you all the best. Besides being a crackhead, you're a beautiful person, and that's all that matters at the end. I love you so much.

Meanwhile, Odion Ighalo's former club Al-Hilal is reportedly preparing an unveiling ceremony to welcome Lionel Messi to Saudi Arabia in a blockbuster deal that will see him earn nearly double what Cristiano Ronaldo currently makes.