Lionel Messi is getting ready for an emotional Barcelona comeback
Lionel Messi will have an opportunity to properly say goodbye to Barcelona in the future, according to Inter Miami co-owner Jorge Mas.
After joining the Blaugrana at the juvenile age of 13, the Argentine legend spent more than 20 years in Catalonia before developing into one of the greatest players in sports history. But in 2021, his illustrious run with the team came to a turbulent and sad close.
The iconic attacker was forced to bid the Camp Nou a tearful goodbye due to internal financial problems at the club, a decision that rocked the world of football. Instead, the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner would spend two seasons at Paris Saint-Germain, where he would rejoin with Neymar Jr.
But now that one of the most unexpected transfers in recent memory has mostly passed, it seems that both parties have a genuine desire for reconciliation. The people in charge at his present club, Inter Miami, now seem keen to give him the proper send-off from the team he loves.
Jorge Mas, a co-owner of the MLS team, has pledged to make efforts to arrange a potential exhibition game between Miami and Barcelona in the future. Naturally, the La Liga heavyweights compete for the coveted Joan Gamper Trophy every year, and it seems there may be a chance for the two sides to meet up in competition then.
A friendly tribute match could be the ideal method to reopen Camp Nou given that Barcelona is presently playing in the city’s Olympic Stadium while their revered home field is being refurbished.
When asked about the possibility, Mas responded to MARCA with the following clear-cut statement: “Messi’s exit from Barcelona [in 2021] was not to his taste.
He was unable to bid his club, which had embraced him as a youngster, farewell, and I believe that Lionel did not want things to turn out the way they did. In the next years, “[We] will try everything in our power to give him the chance to say goodbye to his fans in Barcelona.”
The Floridan billionaire also expressed his joy at the reception Messi has gotten since making his historic transfer to the United States, calling it “extraordinary” in an interview with El Club del Deportista. Regarding the rock star-like response from his devoted US fan, he continued:
“MLS is different. Every time we play away from home the stadiums are full.
“The reception for Lionel has been extraordinary. The game in New York, with almost 30,000 fans, 80 per cent of them shouting Messi’s name, there were Argentina shirts and pink Inter Miami shirts.
“I was shocked, I didn’t expect that. To see the impact Lionel has had, how he is raising the interest in the league and how the world now sets its eyes on the American league. There will be a before and after Messi’s arrival in MLS.”
