Lionel Messi reacts to Barcelona birthday tribute with heartfelt response | OneFootball

FC Barcelona recently celebrated Lionel Messi’s 39th birthday with a tribute to him on their social media pages. Wishing him a happy birthday and commenting on his greatness, the club made sure to acknowledge the Argentinian great’s special day with a special post.

Now, almost 12 hours after the post went up, Messi himself reacted to the message on Instagram with a heartfelt response that clarifies that the ties between the two parties remain as special as ever:

Translating to ‘Thank you very much’, this comment shows just how deep the connection between the player and the club remains even today. Despite their differences, it is clear to see that the progress that has been made to restore their good ties has been working.

Now 39 years old, Messi left the Catalan club back in 2021 and has since played for French side Paris Saint-Germain and MLS club Inter Miami. Moreover, he has recently been breaking record after record at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, having scored five goals already in two games and having displaced Miroslav Klose to become the greatest goalscorer in World Cup history.

As for his future, the Argentina and FC Barcelona legend refused to rule out the possibility of playing at the next World Cup as well beyond this 2026 edition. At this point, even claiming that his longevity is absurd seems to be an understatement by most metrics.

While a return to Barcelona might be impossible for him at the moment, his fellow Argentinean compatriot Julian Alvarez still remains a top priority for Barcelona this summer. With updates on that particular front coming up constantly, it will be interesting to see if he ends up following in the footsteps of the great Lionel Messi to represent La Blaugrana at some point.