Lionel Messi admitted that his Barcelona exit in 2021 did not go as he had "dreamed it" but reiterated his hopes to return and live in the city in the future.

The Barcelona legend unexpectedly visited Camp Nou over the weekend after returning to Spain to meet up with his Argentina team-mates, reiterating his desire to play there again.

He reportedly was let into the stadium by security staff and stepped out onto the pitch for the first time since he left for Paris Saint-Germain over four years ago.

Messi is Barcelona's leading goalscorer and appearance maker, but got no official goodbye in front of the fans, due in part to the club's financial difficulties and ongoing COVID-19 restrictions.

"We miss Barcelona a lot," Messi told Diario Sport. "With the kids, continuously, and my wife, we speak about things in Barcelona.

"The idea is to return there to live. We have our house there, everything, so that's what we want.

"It's a strange feeling after leaving, because of how it all happened, because I spent my final seasons there playing without fans due to the pandemic. After spending all my life there, I didn't leave as I had dreamed of.

"I imagined myself spending my whole career in Europe in Barcelona and then coming here [to Inter Miami], as I did, because that was my plan. It was what I wanted. So, my goodbye was a little strange because of the situation."

Barcelona president Joan Laporta has previously said he would love to inaugurate the renovated Camp Nou with a tribute match for Messi, who has never strictly commented on the possibility.

The 38-year-old's visit to his old stadium also came as a surprise to Laporta, but he was delighted to see him back.

"I didn't know he was coming, but the Spotify Camp Nou is his home," Laporta told Catalunya Radio.

"When they explained how it happened, I think it was a sweet little spur-of-the-moment decision; he'd just finished dinner and felt like coming with some friends."