Barcelona president Joan Laporta has confirmed that the club intends to erect a statue of Lionel Messi outside the newly revamped Camp Nou, following the Argentinian’s emotional visit to the stadium earlier this week.
Messi, now 38, returned to Barcelona on 9 November to tour the renovated ground for the first time since his departure in 2021. He later wrote on Instagram that he hoped to “return one day, and not just to say goodbye as a player”, a message that resonated deeply with supporters.
Speaking at a book presentation in Barcelona, Laporta said the board had already discussed creating a permanent tribute to the club’s all-time top scorer.
“Messi will always be connected to Barça; he knows the doors are open for him. He deserves the finest tribute,” Laporta said. “Like Cruyff and Kubala, he should have a statue at Spotify Camp Nou. He is one of the truly iconic players who changed the history of this club. We’ve talked about it in meetings and the work has begun, but the final decision must also involve his family and every Barça fan would support it.”
Laporta reiterated that Messi returning to play is not realistic, given his recently extended contract with MLS side Inter Miami.
Messi joined Barça’s academy at the age of 13 and went on to score 672 goals in 778 matches. He guided the club to 10 La Liga titles, four Champions League trophies and three Club World Cups across his 21-year association with the team.
The Camp Nou, which had been closed for almost 900 days for major renovation work, reopened on 7 November with an open training session attended by over 20,000 supporters. Laporta said the club intends to host “the most beautiful tribute in the world” once the full project is completed.
