Lionel Messi has once again made something clear: his dream was to finish his career at FC Barcelona. Every time the Argentine speaks about the club that shaped his life, the same mix of nostalgia and honesty resurfaces, tied to the end of a relationship that always seemed destined to last forever.

A farewell that was never supposed to happen that way

Four years have passed since that abrupt exit that shocked the football world. No one imagined that the player who defined an entire era at Camp Nou would say goodbye in tears, without fans, and with no chance to reverse a situation that slipped beyond his control.

After leaving, Messi moved on to PSG and later to Inter Miami, where he now shines in MLS. Everything indicates he will end his career there, even if his heart remains anchored in Barcelona.

That bond, forged from the moment he arrived as a teenager, is so deep that every one of his words reopens a wound that never truly healed. Not just for him, but also for a fanbase that still dreams of a tribute worthy of the most influential player in the club’s modern history.

Even Joan Laporta, Barcelona’s president, fuels those emotions whenever he praises the Argentine. Not because there is any real chance of seeing him return as a player, but because the long-awaited tribute has become an emotional debt the institution has yet to settle.

Messi confirms it: his dream ending was at Barça

In a recent interview with Sport, Messi reaffirmed what he has always felt: he wanted to retire at Barcelona. He wanted to close the circle in the place where he became a legend. “My desire was to stay,” he said, with the same clarity as always, without dramatizing but without hiding the emotional weight of that unfinished story.

The Argentine insisted the decision was not in his hands. The club’s financial situation, LaLiga’s regulations and the lack of room to register his contract ultimately forced him into a departure he never imagined. His recent visit to Camp Nou only reignited nostalgia and intensified fans’ calls for a long-overdue tribute.

Now in Miami, Messi continues competing as always: with ambition, leadership and the same calm tone he uses when speaking about his Barça past. But every word he says about the club confirms the unavoidable truth: his ideal ending was in Catalonia, not in Paris or the United States. And even if the road back no longer exists, the story remains marked by affection, impact and a farewell that still hurts.