Barcelona officially responds to Messi’s return to Camp Nou

Lionel Messi surprised both Barcelona and fans by unexpectedly appearing at Camp Nou on Sunday night without any prior notice, while the stadium was still undergoing renovations and closed to the public.

According to journalist Javi Miguel, FC Barcelona was not informed beforehand about this visit. Messi is currently in Spain with the Argentina national team preparing for a friendly match against Angola on November 14 in Alicante (Valencia). After finishing training with the team, he took the opportunity to stop by Camp Nou - the place where he spent 17 years of his career, to “visit his old home.”

The former Barcelona captain shared a series of photos on Instagram, showing him standing alone in the empty stands of the stadium, accompanied by a heartfelt caption: “Last night I returned to the place where my heart always belongs. The place where I was happiest and most loved more than anywhere else.” The post quickly went viral, spreading widely before Barcelona itself became aware of the event.

According to SPORT, the club had no knowledge of how Messi entered the stadium because Camp Nou had been closed for a long time and was only temporarily reopened on November 7 for a trial training session with about 23,000 fans. Some officials said they only learned about the “special visitor” when they saw the images on social media the next morning.

In response to the widespread attention, Barcelona quickly reposted Messi’s photo with a brief but affectionate message: “You are always welcome at home, Leo.”

Meanwhile, RAC1 reported that Messi’s side confirmed he did not arrange or notify anyone at the club beforehand. The visit was simply “an act born from love and nostalgia” for his former team. However, insiders at Barcelona revealed Messi contacted Limak, the company responsible for renovating Camp Nou, to get permission to visit, and this company informed the club after the visit had taken place.

The incident still attracts much attention because how Messi accessed the stadium, which remains a construction site, is unclear. Nevertheless, the most important aspect is not the security issue but the emotions that moment evoked.

Messi - who played 778 matches, scored 672 goals, and won 35 titles with Barcelona - ended his post with a poignant message: “I hope one day I can come back, not just to say goodbye as a player, because I never had the chance to do that.”

The image of Messi standing alone in the empty stands of Camp Nou moved fans deeply and rekindled memories of the golden era when this place was the “sanctuary” of one of football’s greatest legends.

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