Plans for the tribute are still in their early stages but many former teammates and Barcelona icons are expected to participate
Barcelona vice-president Elena Fort has said that the club intend to honour Lionel Messi with a tribute match at the newly renovated Camp Nou, clarifying that the celebration will not take place until the iconic stadium’s is fully rebuilt.
Messi, widely considered the greatest player in Barcelona’s history, left the club in 2021 after financial difficulties prevented them from renewing his contract. The Argentine went on to play two seasons at Paris Saint-Germain before joining Inter Miami in Major League Soccer in 2023.
But Barcelona are yet to give him a proper send-off in front of the fans at the Camp Nou and the management remain committed to doing that.
“Leo Messi’s tribute at Camp Nou must take place when the stadium is 100% finished,” Fort told La Vanguardia. “It will definitely happen because he is the best player in Barcelona’s history.”
Camp Nou is undergoing a significant redevelopment as part of the Espai Barca project, with the club temporarily playing its home matches at the Olympic Stadium at Montjuic. The refurbished Camp Nou is expected to reopen for the 2025-26 season, although this will be in phases.
Barcelona have long hinted that Messi will be honoured with a testimonial or exhibition match, likely coinciding with the grand reopening of the stadium where he scored 672 goals and won 35 major trophies over a 17-year senior career.
Plans for the tribute are still in their early stages, but many former teammates and Barcelona icons are expected to participate.
Fort also briefly spoke about the club’s ongoing recruitment efforts, notably the drawn-out pursuit of Athletic Club’s Nico Williams.
When asked whether the Spain winger could be part of the team by the time of the Messi tribute, Fort said: “We’ll have the best team in the world, which in my opinion is the current one.
“And the sports department is working to ensure that all the players they want are there. We’ll explain who we’ll be playing against soon.”
