Barcelona president Laporta announces plans for Lionel Messi statue at Camp Nou | OneFootball

FC Barcelona president Joan Laporta confirmed that the club are working on erecting a statue of former captain and legend Lionel Messi at the Spotify Camp Nou, marking the first major homage to the greatest player in the club’s history.

Laporta made the announcement during the presentation of the book “Jo vaig viure a La Masia” by journalist Xavi Torres, taking the opportunity to address the audience about Messi’s enduring bond with Barça.

“Messi will always be linked to Barça, he knows that the doors are open to him. We have absolute respect for him, he deserves the best tribute from Barça,” the president began (h/t SPORT).

Continuing, he added: “He should have a statue at Spotify Camp Nou, like Cruyff and Kubala. He is one of those iconic players who have left their mark on us.

“We have discussed it at a meeting and we are working on it. The family must agree and all Barça fans would want it.”

Messi to get a statue at Camp Nou. (Photo by Marcelo Endelli/Getty Images)

The announcement comes just days after Messi’s surprise visit to the renovated Spotify Camp Nou, where he shared photos from inside the stadium.

The eight-time Ballon d’Or also gave an interview during which he discussed the manner of his exit from Barcelona in 2021 and his desire to return to the club and the city in the future.

Relations between Laporta and Messi’s camp have been poor ever since the club icon’s exit, so much so that reports have suggested that the Argentine might show support to an opposing candidate in the upcoming Barcelona presidential elections.

Laporta, for his part, maintains all is good, while he also made it clear in a recent interview that he had no regrets about how Messi’s exit was handled in 2021.

Talk of a tribute for the greatest of all time has been doing the rounds for a while now, and a statue at the Spotify Camp Nou will be very well deserved.