On October 8 (CET), Paul Ballus, Barcelona correspondent for The Athletic, reported that there has been significant discussion within the club about organizing a farewell match for Lionel Messi.

At Estadio Monumental in Buenos Aires, Lionel Messi was surrounded by more than 85,000 fans and dozens of tearful teammates as he delivered a 10-minute speech, moving the global football world.

For the 39-year-old Lionel Messi, it was a dignified farewell and his 208th and final appearance for Argentina. In the early hours of Wednesday, many Barcelona fans across Europe stayed up late to witness their hero receive the send-off he deserved.

Lionel Messi grew up through Barcelona's La Masia academy as a youth, and after establishing himself at Barcelona, many fans became supporters of Argentina overnight.

During Lionel Messi's peak years at Barcelona, some Argentines criticized him for not replicating his club success on the international stage.

Barcelona fans shared in the disappointment and frustration he experienced in the blaugrana. In recent years, they celebrated his glory on the international stage alongside him. On December 18, 2022, tens of thousands of fans gathered at one of Barcelona's landmarks, Arc de Triomf, to celebrate Argentina's World Cup victory in Qatar, led by Lionel Messi.

Five years have passed since Lionel Messi left Barcelona in tears, but the fans of the club with which he shared his deepest bond have not been able to bid him farewell as Argentina's fans did.

What follows explains why this situation occurred and how it might change in the future.

Why didn't Lionel Messi receive a proper farewell from Barcelona?

The primary reason is that his departure was heartbreaking.

Lionel Messi joined Barcelona at age 13 and set club records from 2004 to 2021 for most appearances (778 matches) and most goals (672) in the club's history. However, he left Barcelona during the pandemic when the club faced severe financial difficulties. In August 2021, instead of bidding farewell to fans at Camp Nou, he tearfully announced his departure at a press conference.

This underscored that Lionel Messi did not actually want to leave Barcelona. Club president Joan Laporta explained that the club was struggling to comply with La Liga's financial regulations due to debt exceeding 1 billion euros, and Messi had to depart. This also damaged the relationship between Messi and club management, particularly Laporta.

Pandemic restrictions also prevented fans from paying proper respects to Lionel Messi at the stadium. Additionally, Messi was not retiring from professional football at that time—he subsequently joined Paris Saint-Germain as a free agent.

Have there been discussions about organizing a farewell match in recent years?

Yes, quite a few.

For a long time, Barcelona fans felt they never had the opportunity to express their love for Messi or give a proper farewell to the club's legend. Since 2023, Messi has been playing for Inter Miami in Major League Soccer.

This became a political issue. During Laporta's successful reelection campaign as Barcelona president this year, he was frequently asked how he could repair his relationship with Messi and when the club could properly honor the Argentine.

Laporta stated that Messi deserves to play a farewell match at Camp Nou and expressed hope for erecting a statue of him outside the stadium. After winning the election in March, Laporta said: "This would be hugely significant. Currently, there are only statues of Johan Cruyff and Ladislao Kubala around the stadium."

Lionel Messi has never responded to Laporta's statue proposal and has shown no willingness to improve his relationship with Laporta, who was president when he left Barcelona.

Instead, last November Messi surprised everyone by appearing at the newly renovated Camp Nou at night without notifying club officials.

Messi was able to enter the stadium and took several photos that he later posted on his social media.

He captioned the post: "I returned to the place I still miss with all my soul. Here I was incredibly happy, and you made me feel like the happiest person in the world. One day I want to return not as a player, but to say goodbye in the way I couldn't before."

What is the biggest obstacle to organizing a farewell match?

It is the relationship with Laporta.

Discord between the two has persisted since Messi's departure. In summer 2023, shortly before deciding to move to Miami, Messi's team and Barcelona discussed the possibility of his return as a free agent from Paris Saint-Germain. His father Jorge was spotted meeting with Laporta at Barcelona, but the fairy-tale transfer never materialized.

"I really wanted to return, but after everything that happened in 2021, I didn't want to experience the same situation again." Lionel Messi said in interviews with Spanish newspapers Sport and Mundo Deportivo after officially joining Inter Miami.

"I didn't want to put my future in someone else's hands. I heard that La Liga approved my return regarding Barcelona's spending limits, but there were other unresolved issues. I heard they needed to sell players and create salary space. I didn't want to go through that situation again, and I didn't want to be placed in that position again."

These remarks were a clear criticism of Laporta and his board, who had to let Messi go due to financial difficulties years earlier. Just months after Messi's departure, Barcelona invested heavily in new signings, including signing Ferran Torres from Manchester City for €55 million in January 2022, which caused great resentment among those close to Messi.

So will he get a farewell match?

I believe he will.

Lionel Messi has expressed his desire to bid farewell to Barcelona fans, and Laporta has repeatedly stated that the club's doors are always open to the legendary forward whenever the time feels right.

"We told Messi that we hope to honor him once Camp Nou is completed," Laporta said at a club members' assembly last month. Barcelona plans to fully complete the renovated stadium before the 2028-29 season begins, after experiencing several delays.

Laporta added: "We will only do this if he wants it. In 2023, Messi had the opportunity to return and play for a season, but he chose a different challenge. We would be very happy to give him a proper send-off, and we hope to see him soon."

For this to happen, both sides will need to set aside past grievances for a greater purpose. Laporta's term as Barcelona president is expected to continue until 2031, after which club regulations prevent him from being reelected.

All of this depends on Messi's other plans, including whether he continues his playing career at Inter Miami. In October 2025, the club announced it was extending his contract through 2028.

Meanwhile, Messi has recently ventured into football club ownership, investing stakes in two Spanish clubs: Cornellà in the fifth tier and Eldense in the second tier.

While Eldense's acquisition still awaits approval from Spain's Higher Sports Council, Messi appears to be planning his post-retirement life.

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