Barcelona president Joan Laporta plans to erect a statue of Lionel Messi at the Camp Nou as part of a tribute he wants to give to the legendary player.
Messi, 38, made an unannounced visit on Sunday to Barça’s stadium, ahead of joining up with the Argentina squad in Spain.
He posted images on social media alongside a caption saying he hoped to «return for the goodbye I never got to say as a player.»
«Messi deserves the tribute at Can Barça, the most beautiful in the world, and also, along with the board of directors and his teammates, we always think that more has to be done for Messi,» Laporta said on Friday during the presentation of a book about La Masia, Barça’s youth academy.
«I think Messi should have a statue at Camp Nou. If [Ladislao] Kubala and [Johan] Cruyff also have statues [outside the Camp Nou], I think it would be only fair for Leo to have his own. He’s one of those iconic players who have defined an era for all of us.»
Eight-time Ballon d’Or winner Messi left Barça as a free agent in August 2021 due to a financial crisis at the club.
The Argentina captain had won a record 34 titles in 21 years with Barça.
Due to Covid restrictions in place at the time, Barça’s record appearance holder and goal scorer was unable to properly say goodbye.
Messi, whose relationship with Laporta cooled following his departure, admitted in a recent interview that he didn’t leave Barça as he had dreamed of.
Regarding the proposed statue, Laporta added: «We’re working on it; the family has to agree. When the time is right and we have the design, we’ll bring it up. We would be very pleased, all Barcelona fans would love to have a statue of Leo Messi where the great figures in Barça’s history are.»
Messi, who joined Inter Miami in 2023 after leaving Paris Saint-Germain, recently signed a contract extension to extend his stay at the Florida club until the end of the 2028 MLS season, when he will be 41.
