Messi Still Calls Barcelona Home: A Dream to Return and a Camp Nou Statue in the Works
19 November 2025
Messi on Barcelona, Departure, and the Dream of a Return
Argentine legend Lionel Messi, the former Barcelona superstar, says he plans to return to Barça and cheer the team from the stands.
Messi left Barcelona in the summer of 2021 after the club failed to seal a new contract amid a severe financial crisis.
In statements picked up by Sport, he recalled that they had shared many moments, both good and bad, as part of a long and eventful career.
It wasn’t all rosy; they faced tough times, but Barcelona is his home, his place, his people, and he wishes he could have spent his entire career there.
He spoke of the dagger in his heart when he had to leave, because President Laporta did not renew his contract.
That wound remains open, even as time has passed.
He said, unfortunately, things went differently, but he will always carry memories for a lifetime of all the moments they shared, and he is grateful.
He added that it has been a long time since he stood on the Barcelona pitch; he had to leave without a proper farewell to the fans because of Covid, an extraordinary year with many memories.
The forward insisted that thoughts of returning linger, and he says he will return, he will be on the pitch cheering the team in the meantime, perhaps staying in Miami for a few more years, but Barcelona remains his home and he hopes to return.
The Statue Plan, Open Doors, and Messi’s Ongoing Legacy
A historic move unfolded as Laporta, Barcelona’s president, announced steps to honor Messi with a statue at Camp Nou.
He said in a book-launch that Barça wants to memorialize the legend with a statue, a third at Camp Nou after Johan Cruyff and Kubala.
Reports in Mundo Deportivo noted the club’s plan and noted that the idea still awaits family approval.
Laporta added that Messi will be connected to Barça again, and doors remain open, though no obligation exists and the timing depends on his family.
Messi himself had recently visited Camp Nou secretly, posting photos and expressing a longing to return.
He contrasted his time at Paris Saint-Germain as a nightmare, saying the daily routine of training and matches never felt right, despite Paris’s beauty.
Since leaving Barça in 2021, he joined PSG and then Inter Miami; the latter contract runs through 2028, while teammates Busquets and Alba retire at season’s end.
Messi’s Barcelona career included a World Cup win with Argentina in 2022 and two Copa Américas in 2021 and 2024.
Over 778 official games for the club, he scored 672 goals and assisted 269 more, a record that helped him become Barça’s all-time top scorer.
The era also yielded 34 titles across domestic and European competitions, cementing his status as the club’s greatest player.
Messi’s legacy at Barça remains vast, and fans still dream of a day when his path might cross the Blaugrana again.
Punchline: If Messi returns, Barcelona’s calendar will reset to glory days and the trophy cabinet will finally need a bigger shelf.
Punchline: The only thing louder than a Barça chant when Messi steps back on the pitch might be the stadium announcer asking for a larger Wi‑Fi bandwidth to handle the cheers.
