FC Barcelona have confirmed the club's plans to organise a tribute match for its best player in their history, Lionel Messi, once Camp Nou's renovations are completed.

This was revealed by the Vice‑President for Institutional Affairs at FC Barcelona, Elena Fort, during an interview with the Spanish news outlet La Vanguardia.

“Leo Messi’s tribute at Camp Nou must take place when the stadium is 100% finished,” she told Spanish news outlet La Vanguardia.

“It will definitely happen because he is the best player in Barca’s history,” she revealed.

This is not the first time the Spanish giants have mentioned their plans to honour Messi.

The idea was first publicly mentioned in 2023 by Joan Laporta, the club’s president, shortly after Messi’s move to Inter Miami.

At the time, Laporta expressed the club’s intention to honour Messi with a proper farewell at Camp Nou, acknowledging that his 2021 departure had been abrupt and lacked the celebration he deserved.

Barca had always planned to honour his achievements at some point, and vice-president Elena Fort insists it will happen upon returning to Camp Nou.

Renovation work officially began in March 2023, shortly after Barcelona played their final match at the stadium that month.

The works, which were originally scheduled to be completed within 20 months, that's by November the next year, to host Barca's anniversary.

Camp Nou will be partially opened on August 10, 2025, for the Joan Gamper Trophy match, with a new completion target date slated for June 2026.

The Olympic Stadium has been Barcelona’s home since June 2023.

The project will see the ground’s capacity rise to 105,000, making it the largest venue in Europe.

“I think that in the summer of 2026, we will be able to say that the stadium is finished,” Fort added.

“Visually, it won’t be 100% finished, the roof will need to be closed. But everything will be there.”

Lionel Messi, who joined Barca's soccer academy, La Masia, in September 2000 when he was just 13 years old, made his debut appearance in 2004 at age 17, which was quite an impressive one given his age at the time for a senior team debut.

A tribute match at the ground where Messi delivered so much of his artistry and famous nights will be a fitting tribute to a player who scored a sensational 672 goals in 778 appearances for the club.

After 17 years of playing at Barca, he bids farewell to his childhood club to join French club Paris Saint-Germain in 2021.

He had 34 major titles, including 10 La Liga crowns alongside four UEFA Champions League successes.