FC Barcelona president Joan Laporta has confirmed that the club still intends to organize a special tribute to Argentine legend Lionel Messi, insisting that the project remains on track despite recent reports indicating a cooling of relations between the two parties.
Laporta’s remarks were made during the club’s general assembly, in response to a member’s question about the possibility of paying tribute to Barcelona’s emblematic captain, who left the club in the summer of 2021 upon the expiration of his contract, amid difficulties related to financial fair play rules.
The Camp Nou renovation works delay the tribute. The president of the Catalan club clearly indicated that the management would wait for the complete completion of the Spotify Camp Nou renovation works before organizing the long-awaited event, noting that Barcelona desires a tribute worthy of a player who marked the club’s golden age.
Laporta also revisited the circumstances of Messi’s departure several years ago, explaining that a return had been considered at the end of Messi’s stint with Paris Saint-Germain, before the player ultimately opted for a new challenge in the United States with Inter Miami.
As he explained: “As we have already said, we will organize a tribute to the Argentine when the stadium is finished. He could have spent a year with us, but he made another decision, and we would be delighted to organize this event.”
The president also took care to send a message of support to the Argentine star, offering condolences after the death of his father, while stressing that the club’s doors remain open for an event paying tribute to the extraordinary career of Barcelona’s all-time top scorer.
He added: “I would like to express my sincere condolences for the death of his father. We are at his disposal. The project will be completed at the beginning of 2028 and, once the stadium has reached its maximum capacity of 105,000 spectators, the time will come to organize this event.”
