Plans Confirmed for Messi Tribute at New Stadium
Barcelona president Joan Laporta has confirmed the club intends to hold a major tribute for Lionel Messi at the completed Spotify Camp Nou, though the event will not take place before 2028. Speaking at the club’s General Assembly, Laporta stated the tribute would happen once the stadium renovation is fully finished, assuming Messi agrees to attend.
“We are planning for the Leo Messi tribute once the Spotify Camp Nou is completed. It will be a beautiful tribute. We hope to complete the stadium by the start of 2028,”
Laporta revealed that discussions had already taken place with Messi about the event. He added that the tribute would only proceed if the former captain wished it.
Stadium Completion Targeted for Early 2028
The current timeline for the renovation of Camp Nou, rebranded as Spotify Camp Nou due to a naming rights agreement, aims for completion at the beginning of 2028. The project has been ongoing since 2023 as part of a wider redevelopment of the FC Barcelona sporting complex. Laporta’s comments confirm that no date has been set for the tribute match or ceremony, as it is dependent on the stadium’s final delivery. Messi left Barcelona in 2021 after the club was unable to renew his contract due to financial constraints imposed by La Liga. After two seasons with Paris Saint-Germain, he joined Inter Miami in 2023. Despite never returning to play for Barcelona, the club continues to regard him as a central figure in its history.
Laporta also expressed condolences for the recent death of Messi’s father, Jorge Messi, who passed away in August 2026 at the age of 68.
Reported by 20minutos.es, footballgroundguide.com, 20 Minutos Barcelona.
