Watch: Lionel Messi secretly visits Camp Nou, says 'I hope one day I can come back...'

Lionel Messi made a surprise return to the Camp Nou on Sunday (Nov 9) as he posted pictures of himself at the iconic ground, which was his home for more than 16 years. Messi, who broke through the academy of Barcelona, served for the famous Spanish club until 2021 before moving on a free transfer to Paris Saint-Germain. Since his 2021 move, Messi has not made any official visit to the stadium, but was spotted at the venue as he strolled in the surroundings.

Messi visits Camp Nou

“Last night, I returned to a place that I miss with all my heart. A place where I was immensely happy, where you made me feel like the happiest person in the world a thousand times over.” He also expressed his desire to return to the club one day, saying, “I hope that one day I can come back, not just to say goodbye as a player, as I never got the chance to do.”

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One of the legends of the game, Messi graced the pitch at Camp Nou for a better part of a decade and a half as he won multiple honours. This included a club record four Champions League titles, 10 La Liga titles, seven Copa del Rey trophies and multiple other honours. During this period, he also scored 672 goals in 772 appearances for Barcelona, underlining his legacy at the club.

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Messi’s visit to the Camp Nou was his first since the stadium was revamped. Barca reopened the Camp Nou on Friday, 895 days after its closure, unveiling a revamped stadium by staging an open training session attended by 21,795 fans.

While Messi is still an active player with Inter Miami, it will be interesting to see whether he makes a return to his beloved club or not. He extended his contract with Inter Miami in October and a return to Barcelona for now looks out of context.