A 105,000 seat apology? Inside Barcelona's plan for Lionel Messi's final goodbye

FC Barcelona president Joan Laporta has revealed ongoing plans to host a major tribute ceremony for club legend Lionel Messi at the newly renovated Spotify Camp Nou.

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A long-awaited homecoming

Speaking to Spanish outlet AS, Laporta confirmed that the Catalan club is eager to give the 39 year old Argentine the proper farewell that circumstances prevented years ago.

The proposed event is entirely dependent on the completion of the ongoing stadium reconstruction project and the player's willingness to participate.

"We told Messi that we want to hold a tribute for him once we finish the procedures for renovating the Camp Nou stadium and we would be delighted to do so" Laporta stated.

"This tribute will be held immediately upon completion of the stadium renovation, provided that Messi himself wants it. I hope he agrees and we see him there where the ceremony will be held in the presence of 105,000 spectators"

Revisiting the 2021 departure

The announcement inevitably resurfaced discussions regarding Messi's painful exit from Catalonia at the end of the 2020 /21 season. While initial reports sometimes framed the departure as a salary dispute, the reality was that Barcelona could not register his agreed upon contract extension due to strict La Liga financial fair play regulations.

This forced the eight time Ballon d'Or winner to tearfully depart for a two year spell with Paris Saint Germain before eventually signing with Inter Miami CF in Major League Soccer.

Addressing the separation, Laporta offered his perspective on why their paths ultimately diverged permanently, hinting at later attempts to bring him back.

"Messi could have continued with us for another season but that did not happen, as he made a different decision in the end" the president claimed.

Mending a historic relationship

Laporta’s public comments serve a dual purpose. Firstly, they act as an olive branch to mend a relationship that was severely strained by the abrupt nature of Messi's 2021 departure.

Secondly, opening the renovated Camp Nou with a tribute to the greatest player in the club's history would be a monumental marketing and emotional triumph for Laporta's administration.

Messi never received a send-off in front of the fans who idolised him for two decades, and providing that closure remains a priority for the Barcelona board.

Khaled Hegazy |

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Journaliste sportif spécialisé dans la couverture du football et la création de contenu numérique, alliant expérience éditoriale et expertise des médias sociaux.

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