By Adegboyega Adeleye
The managing owner of Major League Soccer (MLS) side Inter Miami, Jorge Mas, has revealed that he is planning to play a game at Barcelona to allow forward Lionel Messi to bid farewell to the fans of his former club.
Since the 7-time Ballon d’Or winner left the Spanish side for Paris Saint-Germain in August 2021, there have been discussions of a tribute match to honour the Barcelona legend.
Mas told Marca: “I gave [Messi] my commitment that I will do everything possible in the coming years so that he has the opportunity to say goodbye to his fans in Barcelona.
“Inter Miami will go [to Barcelona] or we will have some kind of match. Messi’s departure from Barcelona was not to his liking, he could not say goodbye to his club, which welcomed him as a child, and I think the circumstances were not what Lionel wanted.”
Barcelona president, Joan Laporta has previously noted that Messi deserved a worthy tribute, and it would be fitting for his tribute to coincide with the official opening of the revamped Spotify Camp Nou stadium, planned for the 2025–26 campaign.
The La Liga champions are currently playing at the Olympic Stadium in Montjuic, which would be their home ground until the renovation at Camp Nou is completed.
The annual Joan Gamper trophy, Barca’s traditional curtain-raiser held in August, has also been reported in the past as a potential tribute event for Messi.
Messi had considered a return to Barcelona before joining the MLS side after his contract with PSG expired in June.
