Barcelona Reportedly Set Date for Lionel Messi’s Farewell Match, Make Initial Contact with His FamilyFC Barcelona is reportedly making concrete plans to honour its greatest-ever player, Lionel Messi, with an official farewell match at the newly renovated Spotify Camp Nou.
According to Catalunya Ràdio (via Barça Universal), the club has already established a tentative date for the tribute game and has made initial contact with the Messi family to explore the possibility.
Messi, widely regarded as the most iconic figure in the club’s illustrious history, spent 17 unforgettable seasons with Barcelona between 2004 and 2021.
During his time at the club, he amassed an astonishing 672 goals and 303 assists in 778 appearances across all competitions, helping Barça to win a record 35 major titles.The Argentine’s departure in the summer of 2021 was abrupt and deeply emotional, as the club was unable to renew his contract due to financial constraints and La Liga’s salary cap regulations.
The farewell, which many believe Messi deserved, never materialized — leaving a void in the hearts of fans and a sense of unfinished business between the player and his boyhood club.
Now, as the newly refurbished Spotify Camp Nou prepares for its full reopening in the 2026–27 season, Barcelona hopes to mark the occasion with a tribute befitting Messi’s legacy.
The proposed farewell match is being considered for the stadium’s official grand re-opening, which is expected to take place in August 2026, following the conclusion of the FIFA World Cup in North America earlier that summer.
Despite earlier speculation that no communication had taken place, Catalunya Ràdio reports that the club has indeed initiated conversations with Messi’s inner circle.
According to the outlet, the response has been positive, with Messi’s family and representatives offering their initial approval in principle.
While many logistical and contractual details still need to be discussed, the intention on both sides appears to be aligned — to finally offer the player a proper goodbye in front of a full-capacity Camp Nou.
Such a tribute would not only serve as an emotional moment for Messi and Barcelona fans around the world but also as a symbolic gesture to mend the abrupt parting of ways in 2021.
It would be an opportunity for the club to close a historic chapter with the recognition it deserves, celebrating a player who defined an era of success, beauty, and global admiration for the Blaugrana.
As preparations for the 2026–27 season gradually take shape, fans will eagerly await confirmation of the event that promises to be one of the most emotional nights in the club’s modern history.
