Barcelona legend admits he never imagined leaving for another club in Europe
Lionel Messi has said he intends to return to live in Barcelona, describing his 2021 exit from the club as a departure that “didn’t happen the way I imagined”.
The Inter Miami forward made the comments in an interview with Diario Sport, days after making an unexpected visit to the city and posing for photos inside the redeveloped Camp Nou. It was his first time back at the stadium since leaving for Paris Saint-Germain four years ago.
“We miss Barcelona a lot,” Messi said. “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.”
The photos Messi shared from the pitch on his return to Camp Nou quickly went viral, drawing millions of reactions online.
Messi explained that he visited because he was nostalgic, but also because he was curious to see the changes taking place.
“I am really looking forward to getting back to the stadium when it’s finished because I moved to Paris and I never returned to Camp Nou,” Messi said.
“It will be strange to go back and see it because the last time I saw it was a long time ago. It will be emotional to get back there and remember everything that was.
“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 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.”
