Inter Miami is interested in making arrangements for a friendly match against Barcelona so that Lionel Messi can have a “proper farewell” with the team he played for previously.

Messi was a player with Barcelona for 17 years, from 2004 until 2021, during which time he made over 700 appearances for the team, scored around 650 goals, and won a plethora of trophies. Messi retired in 2021.

The 36-year-old forward was a member of Barcelona when he won 10 LaLiga titles, four Champions Leagues, and seven Copa del Reys during his time with the club. He also won six of his seven Ballon d’Or awards while he was a member of Barcelona.

However, he departed the club two years ago and was moved to tears when he said his goodbyes. This was because the club was no longer able to afford his wage due to financial problems that were unrelated to the field of play.

Inter Miami owner Jorge Mas, however, has voiced his wish to reconcile his new star with his previous side in order to say goodbye in an appropriate manner. This desire was expressed to MLS Soccer.

 

Inter Miami owner Jorge Mas has expressed his desire to arrange a friendly between Inter Miami and Barcelona

He is keen to give new Miami signing Lionel Messi the chance to say a ‘proper goodbye’ to Barcelona

 

When it was announced that Messi will be departing Barcelona in 2021 due to the club’s financial difficulties, Messi was moved to tears.

I hope that Lionel Messi will be able to say his goodbyes properly. Yes, he does deserve his proper farewell at that location, Mas remarked.

“I will do everything in my power to facilitate, and help him do that because he is deserving of that,” she said. “I will do everything in my power to facilitate, and help him do that.”

If the game is to be played at the Nou Camp, it will have to be postponed until the construction on the field is complete. This is because Barcelona is scheduled to play their home games at the Olympic Stadium beginning with the upcoming season.

After saying his farewell to Barca, Messi spent the next two years playing for Paris Saint-Germain in France, but he was never able to feel at home there and left earlier this year.

He was strongly associated with a return to Barcelona, as well as the Saudi Pro League, but instead he decided to transfer to the United States and join Miami. The Saudi Pro League was another possible destination for him.

He was linked with a return to Barca, where he enjoyed 17 years of success, when he left PSG earlier this transfer window

 

He instead opted to join Inter Miami, and has scored three goals in his first two games for the club

Messi’s father – and agent – Jorge Messi admitted during negotiations that he would have loved his son to have moved back to Spain.

 

‘Leo wants to return to Barcelona and I’d love to see him back to Barca,’ he said. ‘Barca move is an option for sure.’

But he ended up in North America and continues to excite fans of Inter after two impressive performances so far.

Messi netted a dramatic late free kick against Cruz Azul on his debut to give his side a 2-1 win before scoring a brace against Atlanta in a 4-0 win in his second game.