Overview
- Barcelona president Joan Laporta said the club is working on a statue of Lionel Messi at the Spotify Camp Nou, comparable to tributes for Johan Cruyff and Ladislao Kubala.
- He also reiterated plans for a testimonial match once construction is complete, though Messi has not publicly backed the idea.
- Messi recently entered the under‑renovation stadium at night and posted an emotional Instagram message about missing the place and hoping to return.
- Laporta said he was unaware of the visit, while an official club account indicated Messi’s entry was requested and permitted, leaving the authorization in dispute.
- Some reporting attributes the late‑night access to planning by Rodrigo De Paul and Pep Costas with denials later noted, and one account says construction guards from Limak opened a gate after recognizing Messi.