On October 8, Beijing time (CET), Pol Ballús, Barcelona correspondent for The Athletic, reported that there have been extensive internal discussions at the club about organizing a farewell match for Messi.

At the Monumental Stadium in Buenos Aires, Lionel Messi was surrounded by more than 85,000 fans and dozens of emotional teammates, delivering a 10-minute speech on the pitch that moved the football world.

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

In his youth, Messi grew up in Barcelona's La Masia academy, and following his spectacular rise at Barcelona, many club fans became overnight supporters of the Argentine national team.

During Messi's peak years at Barcelona, some in Argentina criticized him for failing to replicate his club success with the national team.

Barcelona fans shared the same disappointments and frustrations that Messi experienced wearing the blue and white shirt. They also celebrated his recent international triumphs. On December 18, 2022, more than 10,000 fans gathered at Barcelona's Arc de Triomf, one of the city's landmarks, to celebrate Messi leading Argentina to victory in the Qatar World Cup.

Five years have passed since Messi's emotional departure from Barcelona, yet at the club with which he has the deepest ties, fans have not given him the same kind of farewell that Argentine supporters did.

What follows explains why—and how this situation could change in the future.

Why didn't Messi receive a proper farewell at Barcelona?

The main reason is that the circumstances of his departure were too painful.

Messi joined Barcelona at age 13 and from 2004 to 2021 became the club's all-time record holder in appearances (778) and goals (672). However, he left Barcelona during the pandemic when the club faced severe financial difficulties. In August 2021, he announced his departure at a press conference rather than saying goodbye to fans on the Camp Nou pitch.

This also made clear that Messi did not want to leave Barcelona. Club president Joan Laporta stated that due to debts exceeding 1 billion euros (approximately £847 million at current exchange rates), the club could not comply with LaLiga's financial regulations, forcing Messi's departure. This also damaged Messi's relationship with club management, especially with Laporta.

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

Have there been discussions about organizing a farewell match over the years?

Yes—quite a few.

For a long time, Barcelona fans felt they never had the chance to express their love for Messi or to properly say goodbye to the club legend. Since 2023, Messi has been playing for Inter Miami in Major League Soccer.

This became a political issue. This year, during Laporta's successful re-election campaign as Barcelona president, he was frequently asked how he intended to repair his relationship with Messi and when a proper tribute to the Argentine could be arranged.

Laporta stated that Messi deserves a farewell match at Camp Nou and expressed his desire to erect a statue of Messi outside the stadium. "It would be very meaningful—currently there are only statues of Johan Cruyff and Ladislao Kubala around the stadium," Laporta said after his March election victory.

Messi has never responded to Laporta's statue proposal, nor has he shown any willingness to repair his relationship with the president who was in office when he left Barcelona.

Instead, last November, Messi surprised everyone at the club by appearing at the extensively renovated Camp Nou in the evening without notifying club staff.

Messi gained access to the stadium, took numerous photos, and later posted them on his social media.

"I returned to a place that I miss with all my soul," he wrote in the caption. "Here, I was incredibly happy, and you made me feel like the happiest person in the world. I hope to return one day, not just as a player, and say goodbye in a way I never could before."

What is the main obstacle to organizing a farewell match?

It is his relationship with Laporta.

Resentment has persisted between the two 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 from Paris Saint-Germain as a free agent. His father, Jorge, was seen meeting with Laporta in Barcelona, but this fairy-tale transfer ultimately did not materialize.

"I really wanted to return, but after everything that happened in 2021, I didn't want to go through the same situation again," 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 LaLiga had approved my return in terms of Barcelona's spending capacity, but there were still other unresolved issues. I heard they needed to sell players and free up salary space. I didn't want to go through that again, to be put in that situation again."

These words were a clear dig at Laporta and his board, who years earlier had to let Messi go due to financial difficulties. Just months after Messi's departure, Barcelona made significant new signings, such as Ferran Torres from Manchester City in January 2022 for an initial transfer fee of 55 million euros, which caused considerable resentment among those close to Messi.

So will he have a farewell match?

I believe so.

Messi has expressed his desire to say goodbye to Barcelona fans, and Laporta has repeatedly stated that the club's doors are always open for the legendary forward whenever he feels the time is right.

"We told Messi that once Camp Nou is completed, we hope to honor him," Laporta said at the club's general assembly last month. Barcelona plans to have the renovated stadium, which has been repeatedly delayed, fully completed before the start of the 2028-29 season.

"We will only do it if he wants it," Laporta added. "In 2023, Messi had the opportunity to return for a season, but he chose to accept another challenge. We would be very excited to give him a proper tribute, and I hope to see him soon."

This will require both parties to move past their history for a greater purpose. After winning Barcelona's election, Laporta's mandate is set to last until 2031. According to club bylaws, he cannot be re-elected.

It will also depend on Messi's other arrangements, including whether he continues his career at Inter Miami. In October 2025, the club announced the extension of his contract until 2028.

Meanwhile, Messi has recently ventured into football club ownership, acquiring stakes in two Spanish clubs: Cornellà, which plays in the fifth division, and Eldense, which plays in the second division.

The Eldense acquisition is still awaiting approval from Spain's Higher Sports Council, but Messi appears to be planning for life after retirement.

Traduzido por IA.

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