Lionel Messi expressed his desire to return to Spotify Camp Nou for a proper farewell he “never got” as a player for Barcelona, during his first visit to the renovated stadium on Sunday.
Back in Spain before rejoining Argentina, Messi shared photos on social media less than a day after helping Inter Miami advance in the MLS playoffs.
“Last night, I returned to a place that I miss dearly,” he captioned the images. “It’s a place where I experienced immense happiness, where you made me feel like the happiest person in the world countless times.”
“I hope that someday I can come back, not just to bid farewell as a player, since I never had the chance…”
Messi, now 38, spent the majority of his career with Barça before leaving abruptly for Paris Saint-Germain in 2021 due to the financial troubles of the club.
This hasty departure, compounded by Covid restrictions at the time, prevented the club’s all-time leading appearance maker and goal scorer from having a proper send-off.
Club president Joan Laporta has previously indicated a desire to host a tribute game for Messi, suggesting it would serve as a fitting inauguration for the newly renovated Camp Nou, which has been under redevelopment since 2023.
“It would be a fantastic way to open the stadium [once completed], with 105,000 fans in attendance to honor Leo,” Laporta stated to reporters after a recent training session attended by 23,000 fans at Camp Nou.
“Of course, that depends on what [Messi’s camp] wants. There are presidential elections to consider, but if I’m still president, I would love to see it happen.”
While Messi’s relationship with Laporta has cooled since his departure, he had not previously commented on the possibility of playing in such a game. The renovation of Camp Nou is still ongoing.
Currently, Barça is permitted to host matches with an attendance of 25,991 fans, but they hope to secure an increase to 45,401 later this month. The team has spent over two years playing at the city’s Olympic Stadium during this time.
However, the completion of the stadium remains pending, including the finishing of the third tier and the installation of the roof. The renovations are not expected to be completed until 2027, at which point the capacity will increase to 105,000.
Messi returned to Europe after scoring twice for Inter Miami on Saturday, leading the team to a decisive victory over sixth-seeded Nashville SC in the final match of their first-round Eastern Conference playoff series.
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He also provided two assists, setting the stage for a matchup against FC Cincinnati in the Eastern semifinal.
Currently, Messi is in Spain with plans to join the Argentina national team in Alicante ahead of a friendly against Angola in preparation for next summer’s World Cup.
During his remarkable 17 years with Barça’s first team, Messi scored 672 goals in 778 appearances, winning 34 trophies, including 10 LaLiga titles and four Champions League titles.