Lionel Messi last night returned to Camp Nou for the first time since leaving in 2021, stealing in in the middle of the night to reminisce about the good times he enjoyed in Barcelona.
Less than 24 hours after starring for Inter Miami in their 4-0 MLS play-off win against Nashville – the 38-year-old scoring twice and assisting two more – Messi was back in Barca to take a look round the revamped stadium.
And he admitted it was emotional, posting on Instagram: “Last night I returned to a place that I miss with my soul. A place where I was immensely happy, where you made me feel a thousand times the happiest person in the world.
“I hope that one day I can return, and not just to say goodbye as a player, as I never got to do…”
Messi will go down as Barca’s greatest ever player
Messi moved to Barcelona in 2001 as a 13-year-old and worked his way through the ranks at their La Masia academy to become the club’s greatest player, their leading goalscorer with 672 in 778 appearances, and arguably the best footballer the world has ever seen.
He won 10 La Liga titles, four Champions Leagues and seven Copas del Rey with the club in a glittering spell before Barcelona’s financial problems meant he was unable to sign a new contract.
He joined Paris Saint-Germain and remained in the French capital for two years before leaving for Inter Miami in 2023.
Messi has played a transformational role in MLS, with Miami playing at sold-out stadiums all across the United States.
He scored his 41st and 42nd goals of another brilliant season against Nashville on Saturday night as Miami eased into the Eastern Conference semi-finals for the first time. They will face FC Cincinnati next.
His immediate focus, however, is the forthcoming international break.
Argentina face Angola in Luanda on Friday and will warm-up for that game in the Spanish city of Alicante.
Barcelona president Laporta keen on tribute game for Messi
Messi’s wish for a proper farewell to the Barca fans will undoubtedly happen, it’s just a matter of when.
Barca president Joan Laporta, whose decisions ultimately led to Messi’s departure, is confident their personal relationship has healed and, speaking at a recent event that saw the club’s supporters allowed in to the revamped stadium to watch a training session, admitted he was keen to stage a tribute game.
“Of course, I would love that,” Laporta said. “It would be a beautiful way to express our gratitude and recognition. Once the stadium reaches its new capacity, we can organise the tribute he and the club truly deserve.
“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.”
Camp Nou remains under reconstruction and is expected to be completed late in 2026.
