Since his departure, he wore the shirt of Paris Saint-Germain and then Inter Miami, but it seems that he never left Barcelona with his heart.
In an unannounced move, Messi returned to the Catalan city this week with his friend Rodrigo De Paul, taking advantage of the international break to prepare for Argentina's friendly match against Angola on November 14.
Messi received special permission to visit Camp Nou, which is undergoing a complete renovation, in his first return to the stadium since May 16, 2021, when he played his last match in the Blaugrana jersey against Celta Vigo.
Messi posted a series of photos from his visit on his Instagram account and wrote: "Last night I returned to a place I miss with all my heart. A place where I was so happy, where you made me feel a thousand times that I am the happiest person in the world. I hope to return one day, not just to say goodbye as a player, because I couldn't do that."
The post garnered more than 24.2 million likes within hours, surpassing Ronaldo's post celebrating the Nations League title (23.5 million likes).
Messi continues to break records on digital platforms just as he does on the field, as his post about winning the 2022 World Cup remains the most liked post in the history of "Instagram", with more than 74 million likes.
On the other hand, Ronaldo holds another unique record, as his comment on the announcement of Kylian Mbappe joining Real Madrid, "It's my turn to watch. Excited to see you light up the Bernabeu #HalaMadrid," is the most liked comment in the platform's history, with more than 5 million likes.
Despite the difficulty of Messi's return as a player, Jorge Mas, co-owner of Inter Miami, revealed a plan to give Messi the farewell he deserves in Catalonia: "I promised him that I would do my best to organize a match that would allow him to say goodbye to his fans in Barcelona in a manner befitting his history."
Messi’s current contract with Inter Miami runs until 2028, meaning he will continue playing after turning 40, with the possibility of representing Argentina at the 2026 World Cup to defend the title.