Lionel Messi makes secret visit to Camp Nou, pours his heart out in touching post: ‘I hope one day I can come back…’
Lionel Messi shared a heartfelt message after his emotional visit to Barcelona, reflecting on the deep bond he still holds with the club and its fans.
Lionel Messi made a secret visit to Camp Nou on Sunday night for the first time since leaving FC Barcelona. After guiding Inter Miami past Nashville in the MLS Playoffs, club legend Lionel Messi took a sentimental detour to revisit the stadium where his remarkable journey began — the iconic Camp Nou. It was a deeply emotional homecoming for the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner, who has often spoken about the heartbreak of parting ways with Barcelona amid the club’s financial turmoil. Messi, who spent over two decades at Barca, has repeatedly expressed that if circumstances had allowed, he would have loved nothing more than to end his illustrious career where it all started.
Messi shared a heartfelt message after his emotional visit to Barcelona, reflecting on the deep bond he still holds with the club and its fans. The Argentine legend expressed how much he misses the place that shaped his career and life, and hopes to return there once again.
"Last night I returned to a place I miss with my soul. A place where I was immensely happy, where you guys made me feel a thousand times the happiest person in the world. I hope one day I can come back, and not just to say goodbye as a player, as I never got to..." Messi captioned the post on Instagram.
Barcelona recently reopened Camp Nou for a senior team training session, even as renovation work continues. The club remains optimistic that the first team will resume playing their home matches at the iconic venue later this season.
The Argentine superstar parted ways with Barcelona in 2021 after the club’s financial turmoil made it impossible to renew his contract, leading him to join Paris Saint-Germain. During that period, he also fulfilled his lifelong dream by winning the 2022 World Cup and later moved to Inter Miami, marking the end of his European club journey.
Lionel Messi completes 400 assists
Messi recently reached another remarkable milestone by registering his 400th career assist while edging closer to the 900-goal mark. The Argentine maestro was in vintage form during Inter Miami’s 4-0 demolition of Nashville in the MLS Cup playoffs, netting twice and setting up both goals for teammate Tadeo Allende. Messi opened the scoring in the 10th minute, doubled his tally in the 39th, and then turned provider in the second half as Miami cruised into the next round.
"I want to congratulate Leo for the game he played," Miami coach Javier Mascherano said. "He was the first one who guided us in high pressure. To see him press like that at 38 years old is crazy. We all know about Leo with the ball, but what happened with Leo without the ball today was impressive," he added.
