It may still not seem real, but Lionel Messi is a Paris Saint-Germain player.
The 34-year-old sealed his switch to the French capital on Tuesday after leaving Barcelona following 21 years at the club.
Now Messi will play his football at the Parc des Princes under Argentine compatriot Mauricio Pochettino as he and the state-funded side bid to win an elusive Champions League title, as well as reclaiming their own domestic trophy.
Having spent two days in the limelight being presented to the media and discussing his move, the 21st-century icon finally got kitted out to take part in his first training session with the squad on Thursday.
Pochettino's men are preparing to welcome Strasbourg on Saturday evening for their second Ligue 1 match of the season, where Messi has a slim chance of making his debut.
In the meantime, here are four things Mirror Football spotted in Messi's first training session as a PSG player.
1. Ramos a rival no more
In undoubtedly the most stark image from the day, this would look fake if you were living under a rock for the past week or so.
Having been fierce rivals for 16 seasons in El Clasico, Messi and former Real Madrid captain Sergio Ramos are now teammates and shared a hug in the gym, with the pair spearheading PSG's strapping recruitment this summer.
The Spaniard has faced the six-time Ballon d'Or winner more than any other opponent (44 times) during his storied career.
Messi's 19 victories compared to Ramos' 16 means the Argentine can boast, but it could take a long time until they get their first win on the same side due to the ex-Los Blancos No.4 being ruled out until October with a thigh injury.
2. Mbappe welcomes Messi
Although his own spellbinding quality is enough to have PSG fans salivating, their new diamond - as they're referring to him in Paris - will form part of a formidable front three under Pochettino.
MNM will consist of Messi, Neymar and Kylian Mbappe, who has been linked with a move away to Real Madrid.
With one year remaining on his contract, the Frenchman's future is uncertain and he could follow his new teammate's lead by leaving on a free transfer.
For the time being, though, Mbappe will be playing alongside Messi in an attack which will strike fear into any defence.
How many goals will these two score this season? Comment below.
Although it was noted in the preceding days following the signing announcement that the 22-year-old was yet to welcome him on social media, the youngster's post on Thursday shut down the talk.
Having scored 57 league goals between them last season, Ligue 1 opposition will not like the sight of this.
3. Messi not getting it easy
Although everyone at the Parc des Princes will want him fit and firing, Messi is sure to take part in his fair share of intense sessions.
Having described him as "phenomenon" in his unveiling press conference, the Copa America winner faced Euro 2020 champion Marco Verratti and the Italian made sure to get stuck in despite the compliment.
Verratti's willingness to compete fits with Pochettino's brutal training regimes which saw Tottenham Hotspur become one of the hardest working teams of the Premier League era before his 2019 sacking.
Thankfully for Parisians, there is no doubt Messi can deal with it, thanks to having to fend off aggressors - often much bigger than him unlike the Italy playmaker - throughout his career.
4. Familiar faces from home
With PSG looking to get their hands on the Champions League in 2022, Messi is coming off the back of achieving his own long-awaited feat.
Having lost four major finals across his international career, the new No. 30 in Paris was finally able to lift a trophy with Argentina in July as Argentina beat Brazil, led by Neymar, to triumph in the Copa America.
Messi has starred alongside Angel Di Maria for La Albiceleste for over a decade but it is not just the former Manchester United man who is already well-acquainted with the Argentina captain.
Midfielder Leandro Paredes and striker Mauro Icardi are also compatriots of Messi's, with the squad boasting a strong South American contingent through the aforementioned Neymar, Marquinhos and Rafinha.
That chemistry could come in handy for Pochettino to help his team avoid looking disjointed, a hurdle many 'galacticos' groups struggle with, especially due to the individuality of the modern player.
When you have a player like Messi, though, you can at least cover some deficiencies.
