The 38-year-old Argentine international regretted never having an official farewell game when he left in 2021 and left the door open to a possible return to the Catalan club.
Still under construction, Camp Nou received a very special visit this weekend. Lionel Messi returned to the pitch at the Barcelona stadium, where he experienced the most memorable moments of his career, to live up to his feelings and leave a message of affection for the Catalan club.
In a post on social media, the 38-year-old Argentine star confessed the emotion of returning “to a place” that he misses “with his soul”, remembering the years in which he was “immensely happy”.
“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 over like the happiest person in the world.”
The ancient star blaugrana He also regretted never having an official farewell game when he left the club in 2021, to sign for Paris Saint-Germain, before heading to Inter Miami two years later.
“I hope I can come back someday and not just to say goodbye as a player, as I was never able to do…“, wrote Messi, leaving the door open to a possible reunion with Barcelona, the club where he became a world football legend.
Visit Camp Nou… without talking to Barcelona
According to the Spanish press, Lionel Messi visited the new Camp Nou in the early hours of Sunday to Monday. The former Barcelona captain entered the venue without directly contacting those responsible for the Catalan club.
Visiting the provincial city before joining the Argentine national team, Messi asked permission from security guards at the Turkish company Limak, in charge of the works at the stadium, to be able to enter and review the space where he shone for almost two decades. The company contacted the Catalan club, which did not raise any objections to the player’s visit.
Club marked the moment
This Monday, Barcelona published a photo of Messi on the Camp Nou pitch, highlighting that the Argentine footballer “will always be welcome home”, in a clear demonstration that the connection between the club and its greatest idol remains intact, despite the player’s departure in 2021.
Over 17 seasons with Barcelona, Lionel Messi scored 672 goals in 778 official games. During this period, he won dozens of titles, including four Champions Leagues, three Club World Cups and ten Spanish championships, becoming the most titled and influential player in the history of the Catalan club.
