MLS
Laporta hopeful of Messi return to Camp Nou opening: will Inter Miami play Barcelona?
The Barcelona president spoke of a possible return for Messi to Camp Nou: will Inter Miami play Barça in Spain?
First they called it ‘Game 39′. Then they dropped the moniker altogether and just tried to fly Girona out to Miami. LaLiga has tried its hardest to move Spanish football stateside, but what about if things went the other way? well, with the arrival of Messi to MLS, that’s just what might happen, and now Joan Laporta has even hinted at a possible Messi return to Camp Nou for the opening of the stadium.
Lionel Messi, you may have heard, made the move to Inter Miami after packing his bags in Paris following two unhappy and difficult years. Almost two decades of football at Barcelona was put to an end when the club realised, despite assuring the player the opposite, that they could not register him on their books due to the complicated financial situation. Now, however, he could be on his way back to where he became the best player in the world.
FC Barcelona stateside:
Did Laporta say Messi will come back to Camp Nou?
Laporta was quizzed on Catalan television regarding Messi’s nearly-return to Barcelona following his exit from PSG. The World Cup winner was not prepared to wait on the Catalan side who could not guarantee his registration and instead decided to tie up his future early with the MLS move. After the decision was announced by Inter Miami, FC Barcelona released an extraordinary statement in which they said “President Laporta understood and respected Messi’s decision to want to compete in a league with fewer demands, further away from the spotlight and the pressure he has been subject to in recent years.”
Now, however, it seems that Laporta is wishing to rebuild some of the broken bridges that may have swayed in the wind when the statement was digested by the shocked public and no doubt Messi himself. The president of the club assured that Barcelona were working on a tribute for the player who never got to fully say goodbye to the blaugrana fans due to the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions that were in place at the time.
Laporta also reeled back in as regards his public position on Messi joining Miami, saying he “respected Leo’s decision to join Tata Martino’s Inter Miami.” The club president then hinted at a possible return for the player: “We are working on super tribute, the opening day of Spotify Camp Nou could be perfect.”
Is Messi going to play at Camp Nou with Inter Miami?
While nobody is sure exactly what the plans are for Messi’s ‘super tribute’, a friendly match surely cannot be completely off the cards for the two sides. Messi has already given MLS an extraordinary boost in terms of interest, and a one-off game at Camp Nou could serve as further promotion for both Barcelona and Inter Miami as global brands.
When is the Camp Nou going to be finished?
The date right now for when the project to renovate Camp Nou should be finished is somewhere around the end of 2024, but these early dates must always be taken lightly as any delay or problem could extend that time. Until that time, Barcelona will play their home games at the Estadio Olímpico Lluís Companys, which is just 4 kilometres from Camp Nou.
