Messi to return to Barcelona for its 125th anniversary

Argentina’s Lionel Messi is set to return to legendary club FC Barcelona by attending the 125th anniversary gala celebrations, as per Radio Catalunya’s Barca Reservat. 

The famed footballer joined the La Masia academy as a 13-year-old and kick-started his journey. He had growth problems but went on to make his senior debut against Espanyol in 2004 aged 17. 

Messi went on to become the club’s greatest player and one of the best footballers of all time with Goal.com reporting that the athlete scored 672 goals for Barca in the 17 years he represented the side. 

His time with Barcelona ended in 2021 after the Catalan side’s financial troubles began to become impossible to handle and the club failed to renew the contract of the Argentine maestro despite President Joan Laporta promising him otherwise. 

This left a strain between the two. However, Laporta is trying to look past the differences and has invited Messi personally to attend his former club’s 125th anniversary at the Liceu Theatre on November 29, according to Catalunya Radio's Tot Costa. 

The reports suggest that the World Cup winner will attend the event and aims to return to the club for the first time since he bid farewell to it in 2021.