A Barcelona executive has confirmed the big plans they have to bid farewell to Lionel Messi.
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The Rosario native is arguably the greatest footballer ever to grace the Camp Nou, but despite the immensity of his stature at the club, the attacker was not afforded a proper goodbye by the fans on the pitch when he left as a free agent in 2021 under abrupt circumstances.
Messi played 778 times for the Blaugrana, with 79 of those appearances coming alongside now-Barca sporting director Deco, and the former Portuguese playmaker has assured Culers they will get to witness the seven-time Ballon d'Or winner one last time at their revamped home ground.
"I think it will be a farewell match, but maybe in the new stadium when it is ready," the FC Porto icon said, as per Sport.
"He will always be the greatest idol in the history of the club. The club had great idols, like [Johan] Cruyff, Ronaldinho, but he is perhaps the greatest of everyone.
"He will definitely play a farewell match at Barcelona, but when it will be, we don't know.
"He is playing, and I hope he plays for more years, because people who like football, who like it, will be happy to see him happy."
The Catalan giants tried to bring Messi back to the club after he left Paris Saint-Germain earlier this year, but ultimately failed as he joined Inter Miami.
The Argentine was not the only Barca legend the club were interested in bringing back in the past off-season, though, with Deco also confirming talks had taken place over a potential Neymar return.
"There were conversations with his manager," the Sao Bernardo do Campo native added.
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"This was much more with the president, but the truth is that the situation and how it could be done were never really presented. We have the issue of the Fair Financial Play that conditions a lot, but Neymar's situation was never finalised."
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