On Sunday night, while much of the world slept, Lionel Messi experienced an intimate moment he had been waiting for since 2021. Now in Alicante with the Argentina national team before traveling to Angola for a friendly, the Inter Miami captain returned to the Spotify Camp Nou for the first time since his farewell. He did so far from cameras, far from institutional ceremonies — but with a level of emotional weight that resonated deeply with him and with the entire Barcelona community.

What makes the moment even more striking is that, just days earlier, Messi had given an interview in Miami — published by Sport — where he hinted that Barcelona still occupies a huge place in his heart. Without knowing he would soon step inside the rebuilt stadium, Messi openly admitted that he and his family constantly talk about the city.

“We miss Barcelona a lot… the kids, my wife and I always talk about the idea of living there again. We have our home, everything — it’s what we want.”

A Return He Imagined as Special… and That Became Inevitable

In that same interview, Messi reflected on what he expected to feel the day he finally returned to the new stadium:

“It’s going to be strange to go back to the new stadium… it will be emotional to remember everything that place meant.”

He didn’t know that the reunion was only days away. On Sunday, the Argentine walked through the redesigned Camp Nou — still under construction — and was visibly moved by the sensation of returning to a place that shaped more than two decades of his life. His first words on social media made it clear: he had returned to a place he “missed with his soul.”

The Wound Left Open in 2021

Messi also addressed the farewell he never truly had. The pandemic, the empty stadium and the abrupt decision not to renew his contract created an ending that felt incomplete for one of the greatest icons in the club’s history.

“It left me with a strange feeling… it wasn’t the goodbye I dreamed of.”

He admitted he originally wanted to finish his European career in a Barça shirt before making the final move to the United States. Reality changed that plan — and the way it ended still weighs heavily on him.

A Life Built in Barcelona — and One That Points Back to It

When asked what he carries with him from his 21 years at FC Barcelona, Messi didn’t hesitate: he can’t choose just one memory.
For him, Barcelona was growth, family, formation and destiny.

“I’m grateful to God for taking me to that place when I was a child.”

With three children born in the city, a home still waiting, and a bond that never broke, Messi gave one of his clearest hints yet: Barcelona isn’t only part of his past — it’s part of the future he imagines for his family.