Messi Hints at Dream Return to Barcelona for Farewell
In a heartfelt message on social media, Lionel Messi expressed his desire to return to Barcelona for a proper farewell, a moment he never received during his previous stint with the club. This announcement came after Messi visited the newly renovated Spotify Camp Nou for the first time on Sunday.
Currently in Spain before joining the Argentina national team, Messi shared pictures from his trip to the iconic stadium just a day after helping Inter Miami advance in the MLS playoffs. He remarked, “Last night, I returned to a place that I miss with all my heart. It’s a place where I was immensely happy, where you made me feel like the happiest person in the world a thousand times over. I hope that one day I can return, and not just to say goodbye as a player, as I never got to do.”
At 38, Messi has a rich history with Barcelona, where he became the club’s all-time leading scorer and appearance holder before leaving for Paris Saint-Germain in 2021 due to financial constraints faced by the Catalan club. His departure was hastened by COVID-19 restrictions, preventing him from having a proper send-off.
Barcelona’s president, Joan Laporta, has also expressed a desire to honor Messi with a tribute match as a grand reopening for the Camp Nou, which has been closed for renovations since 2023. Laporta stated, “It would be a great way to open the stadium [when it’s completely finished], with 105,000 packed in and paying tribute to Leo.” He noted that the plans depend on Messi’s interest and the outcome of upcoming presidential elections.
Messi’s relationship with Laporta has cooled since his exit, but he has not previously commented on such a tribute match. The Camp Nou is currently only permitted to host 25,991 fans, but there are hopes to increase that to 45,401 soon. The completed renovations, expected by 2027, will raise the stadium’s capacity to 105,000.
Over the weekend, Messi returned to Europe following a strong performance where he scored twice, leading third-seeded Inter Miami to a decisive victory against sixth-seeded Nashville SC in the Eastern Conference playoff series. He also provided two assists, setting up a semifinal clash with FC Cincinnati.
During this trip back to Spain, he is preparing to join the Argentina squad in Alicante for a friendly against Angola as they gear up for the upcoming World Cup.
Throughout his illustrious career at Barcelona, Messi scored an impressive 672 goals in 778 appearances and secured 34 trophies, including 10 LaLiga titles and four Champions League titles.
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