Watch: Shakira gets emotional as she leaves Barcelona after high-profile split from Gerard Pique

Pop star Shakira left Spain on Monday with her two sons after the high-profile split from ex-Barcelona star Gerard Pique.

Shakira is moving away to Miami with her sons Milan (10) and Sasha (8), who will be starting school in Florida from April 11, according to reports.

She bid her "final goodbye" to the Spanish capital and wrote a heartfelt message before leaving.

"I settled in Barcelona to give my children stability, the same that we are now looking for in another corner of the world next to family, friends and the sea.

"Today we start a new chapter in the search for our happiness," Shakira tweeted.

Shakira's lawyer Pilar Mane told Pique’s lawyer Ramon Tamborero in a formal announcement that the star was leaving definitively, according to journalists Lorena Vasquez and Laura Fa.

The Colombian singer, they said, then called Pique herself to confirm the news, yet he was said to be furious about being kept in the dark about the exact date they would be leaving.

Why did Shakira split with Pique?

In June 2022, the three-time Grammy Award winner and the 35-year-old retired soccer player announced their separation.

In a statement, the couple requested privacy for the well-being of their children. "We regret to confirm that we are separating. For the well-being of our children, who are our utmost priority, we request respect for (our) privacy. Thanks for your understanding," they said.

As per GOAL.com, the Barcelona defender was seen accompanied by other women and he has been living in his old apartment for weeks.

The couple have been together for more than 11 years having started officially dating in 2010.

They had first met in the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa when Pique was featured in the music video for Shakira's "Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)", the tournament's official song.