Messi Hints at Future Return to Barcelona
Star forward Lionel Messi of Inter Miami has expressed his wish to relocate back to Barcelona someday, reflecting on his unexpected exit from Barcelona in 2021, which he described as an experience far from his expectations.
His comments followed a surprise visit to Spotify Camp Nou, where he shared images of the stadium’s renovations on social media, stating he hopes to “return for the goodbye I never got to say as a player.”
“We miss Barcelona a lot,” Messi told Diario Sport. “My wife and I, along with the kids, often reminisce about our time there. Our goal is to go back and live there permanently. We still own our house, and that’s our aspiration.”
Messi’s impromptu visit to the stadium took many by surprise. He had arrived in Barcelona before joining the Argentina national team in Alicante and decided to drop by the stadium, accompanied by teammate Rodrigo De Paul. Security granted him access, and he took photos on the pitch, which garnered over 22 million likes on Instagram within 24 hours.
This marked Messi’s first return to Camp Nou since his departure to Paris Saint-Germain in 2021.
“I am genuinely eager to see the stadium once the renovations are complete since I moved to Paris without returning to Camp Nou,” he mentioned in an interview that took place in Miami prior to the visit. “Barcelona’s temporary relocation to the Olympic Stadium in Montjuïc adds to the strangeness of returning, as it’s been a while since I last saw it. It’s going to be a moving experience to return and recall all the memories,” he added.
Since 2023, Barcelona has been playing at the Olympic Stadium due to ongoing renovations at Camp Nou, which involve a €1.5 billion upgrade. The club hosted an open training session last week, attended by 23,000 fans, and is hopeful they can return to their historic home before year-end, pending council approval for matches with approximately 45,000 attendees.
Although the complete refurbishment won’t be finished until at least 2027, at that time, the stadium’s capacity is set to expand to 105,000. Barcelona president Joan Laporta has expressed a desire to hold a tribute match for Messi at the new Camp Nou. While Messi has not directly commented on that possibility, he feels a sense of unfinished business with the club where he holds the records for most goals and appearances.
“Leaving the club felt odd due to how it unfolded. I spent my last seasons there playing without fans due to the pandemic,” he shared. “Having dedicated my life to the club, I did not depart in the manner I had envisioned. I always anticipated finishing my career in Barcelona before moving to Miami, so my farewell felt somewhat surreal given those circumstances.”
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