Six-time Ballon d'Or winner Lionel Messi headed for France on Tuesday to join Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) on what was widely expected to be a two-year deal following his shock departure from Barcelona.

The agreement is a major coup for wealthy PSG, who will add one of the greatest players of all time to an already formidable front line that includes Brazil's Neymar and young Frenchman Kylian Mbappe.

Messi gave no details of the deal to reporters as he arrived at Barcelona airport, days after the Spanish club said it could not afford to keep him because of La Liga's fair play rules.

But the 34-year-old Argentine midfielder's father, who was also at the airport, confirmed reports by French newspaper L'Equipe and Spanish newspaper Mundo Deportivo that Messi had reached agreement with PSG.

L'Equipe said the deal would be for two years. It also said Messi would have medical tests on Tuesday, and that a news conference to mark his arrival was likely on Wednesday.

Many Barcelona fans were distraught at the end of Messi's glittering, trophy-laden career at the club he joined as a schoolboy.

But the arrival of Barcelona's all-time record scorer with 682 goals will boost PSG's ambitions to win the Champions League for the first time. Messi won four Champions League titles while at Barcelona, as well as 10 La Liga titles.

Fans awaited the player at Le Bourget airport outside Paris on Tuesday, chanting: "Messi, Messi, Messi."

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