The Mysterious Visitor at the Under-Construction Former Home Stadium: "Why Is Messi There?"

Debuted for Barcelona, Scored 672 Goals in 778 Matches
Won 35 Titles, Cementing Status as Club's Greatest Player

Soccer player Lionel Messi (38, Inter Miami) revealed that he secretly visited his former team, FC Barcelona. On November 10, Messi posted several photos on his social media showing him visiting Camp Nou, Barcelona's home stadium. Currently, Camp Nou is undergoing remodeling, with completion targeted for 2026.

Soccer player Lionel Messi (38, Inter Miami) revealed that he secretly visited his former team, FC Barcelona. Lionel Messi Instagram

Along with the photos in the post, Messi wrote, "Last night, I returned to the place my soul deeply longed for," adding, "It was a place where I was truly happy, and thanks to you, I felt like the happiest person in the world more than a thousand times." He continued, "I hope to return someday-not just to say a final farewell as a player, but to give the heartfelt goodbye I couldn't before."

Previously, on November 9, after scoring two goals in the Major League Soccer (MLS) playoff home match against Nashville (a 4-0 victory), Messi boarded a flight to Spain. This visit was reported to be a brief stop before the Argentina national team began training in Alicante. According to the Spanish media outlet 'Barca Universal,' Messi visited Barcelona's Camp Nou privately on November 9, and club officials were not informed of his visit in advance.

Messi made his debut for Barcelona's first team on October 16, 2004, in a La Liga match against Espanyol. Over 17 seasons, he played in 778 official matches, scoring 672 goals and providing 305 assists. The 778 appearances are the most in FC Barcelona's history, and in March 2021, Messi surpassed Xavi Hernandez (767 games) to become the club's all-time appearance leader.

In December 2020, he also broke the single-club goal record set by 'Football King' Pele, who scored 643 goals for Santos (Brazil). Messi is also the youngest player in Barcelona's history to reach 100 goals (at 22 years, 6 months, and 23 days) and 200 goals (at 24 years and 240 days). In La Liga alone, Messi played 520 matches, setting the club record for most league appearances, and with 474 goals (217 assists), he became the league's all-time top scorer. In the 2011-2012 season, he scored 50 goals (with 20 assists) in 37 regular league matches, setting the record for the most goals in a single La Liga season.

Soccer player Lionel Messi (38, Inter Miami) revealed that he secretly visited his former team FC Barcelona. Lionel Messi Instagram

Messi has also swept various awards, including winning the Ballon d'Or, given to the best-performing player of the year, six times (2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2019), making him the player with the most wins in history. He also received the European Golden Shoe, awarded to the top scorer in European competitions for a season, six times. With 10 La Liga titles, 8 Spanish Super Cups, 7 Copa del Rey (King's Cup) titles, 4 UEFA Champions League titles, 3 Club World Cups, and 3 European Super Cups, Messi has experienced a total of 35 championship wins, making him the player with the most trophies in Barcelona's history.

However, in the summer of 2021, Messi's journey with Barcelona came to an end. The club's severe financial crisis prevented a contract renewal. At his transfer press conference, Messi shed tears and said, "I will definitely return someday," before moving to Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) in France. Recently, Messi and his family have continued to express their affection for Barcelona. Messi's wife, Antonela, drew attention by sharing photos of their eldest son Thiago's birthday party decorated with a Barcelona theme.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.