Joan Laporta asserts Lionel Messi 'deserves' statue outside Camp Nou

Messi reluctantly left Barca in 2021 to join PSG.

As a tribute to the great player, Barcelona president Joan Laporta intends to build a statue of Lionel Messi at the Camp Nou.

Before travelling to Spain to join the Argentina team, Lionel Messi, 38, paid an unexpected visit to Barcelona’s stadium on Sunday.

Barcelona president promises to build Lionel Messi’s statue at Camp Nou

On social media, Messi shared pictures with the comment that he hoped to “return for the goodbye I never got to say as a player.”

“Messi deserves the tribute at Can Barça, the most beautiful in the world, and also, along with the board of directors and his teammates, we always think that more has to be done for Messi,” president Laporta said on Friday during the presentation of a book about La Masia, Barça’s youth academy.

“I think Messi should have a statue at Camp Nou. If [Ladislao] Kubala and [Johan] Cruyff also have statues [outside the Camp Nou], I think it would be only fair for Leo to have his own. He’s one of those iconic players who have defined an era for all of us.”

Due to financial problems at Barcelona, Lionel Messi departed as a free agent in August 2021 and joined PSG.

In 21 years with Barça, the Argentina captain had won a record 34 championships. Barça’s record participation holder and goal scorer did not get to properly bid farewell due to COVID limitations at the time.

In a recent interview, Messi, whose friendship with Laporta deteriorated after his departure, acknowledged that he didn’t leave Barça as he had imagined.

Messi, who left Paris Saint-Germain to join Inter Miami in 2023, just agreed to a contract extension that will keep him with the Florida team until the conclusion of the 2028 MLS season.

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