WATCH: Lionel Messi gets rousing welcome as he lands in Paris to join PSG

Six-time Ballon d'Or winner Lionel Messi received a hero's welcome after flying to Paris on Tuesday (August 10) to join Ligue 1 giants Paris Saint Germain (PSG) following his shock departure from Barcelona. The Argentine icon is set to put pen to paper with PSG in a new two-year deal.

Messi is very close to joining the Parisians, having seen his 21-year stay at Camp Nou come to an end on Sunday. The 34-year-old is expected to undergo his medical on Tuesday with PSG, as per Goal.com.

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's plane touched down at Le Bourget airport on the outskirts of the French capital, according to reporters at the scene and the Flightradar24 website.

Hundreds of fans gathered at the airport before his arrival, chanting: "Messi, Messi, Messi."

Leo Messi with Paris Saint-Germain fans at the airport. Celebration time after official announcement. #PSG #Messi pic.twitter.com/4Zu4V6wS7D — Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) August 10, 2021

"It's going to be mad. After all, it's a legend who is arriving," said Florent Chauveau, a PSG fan who has been back and forth to the airport every day since Sunday in the hope of seeing Messi arrive.

"I hope he knows it's been three days that we have been waiting and that he doesn't set off in his van without a little wave."

Earlier, Goal.com cited L'Equipe, that Messi has agreed on a deal with Paris Saint-Germain. Messi is taking on a new challenge with Ligue 1 team, with a reported two-year contract -- that includes a 12-month extension option beyond that point -- set to be signed at Parc des Princes.

Earlier, Messi was set to extend his stay at FC Barcelona by signing a new five-year deal this summer. However, the club announced on Thursday that "financial and structural obstacles" meant the deal could not be completed, meaning Messi left as a free agent.

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.