Messi arrived in Oviedo on Thursday with his wife, Antonela Roccuzzo, amid enthusiastic welcomes and applause from supporters. The Argentina captain, who led his country to World Cup glory, was due to receive the Princess of Asturias Award in the sports category on Friday.
Speaking to the Spanish news agency EFE, Messi recalled the extraordinary period he spent at Barcelona, where he developed from a promising teenager into one of the greatest footballers of all time. His memories, he suggested, extend well beyond the club’s extraordinary collection of silverware.
“We were fortunate to win everything. The way we played, enjoyed our victories and achieved all the important things was wonderful. But, above all, we also enjoyed our everyday lives and training sessions; we had a really good time,” Messi said.
His comments underline the importance of the relationships and experiences that shaped his career. While supporters often remember his Barcelona years through spectacular goals, historic victories and individual honours, Messi’s own reflections suggest that the everyday camaraderie of life at the club remains equally precious to him.
Over nearly two decades at Barcelona, Messi established himself as the club’s record appearance-maker and leading goalscorer. His extraordinary consistency and technical brilliance helped the team dominate Spanish football and compete at the highest level in Europe.
During his time at the club, Messi won 10 La Liga titles and four UEFA Champions League trophies, alongside numerous other domestic and international honours. His individual achievements were equally remarkable. The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner set standards that placed him among the most decorated players in the history of the game.
Yet his departure from Barcelona in August 2021 was far removed from the celebrated moments that had defined his career. The club’s financial difficulties and problems with registering a new contract meant that a renewal could not be completed, bringing an emotional end to his long association with the side.
Messi subsequently joined Paris Saint-Germain, where he spent two seasons before moving to the United States in July 2023. He has since represented Inter Miami in Major League Soccer, beginning a new chapter in a career that has already spanned several generations of football supporters.
Despite leaving Barcelona, his connection with the city has remained deeply personal. All three of his children were born there, making it a place associated not only with professional success but also with important milestones in his family life. The years he spent in Catalonia helped shape both the footballer and the person he became.
That personal dimension helps explain why Barcelona continues to occupy such a special place in his heart. For Messi, the club represents a lifetime of experiences: the challenge of growing into a world-class player, the satisfaction of winning major honours, the friendships formed with teammates and the memories created away from the pitch.
His return to Spain for the Princess of Asturias Award has offered an opportunity to revisit that defining chapter. Although his professional career has taken him from Barcelona to Paris and then Miami, the achievements and experiences of his years in Catalonia remain central to his story.
Messi’s reflection that Barcelona’s significance is difficult to describe in a few words captures the depth of that relationship. The club gave him the platform to reach extraordinary heights, while the city became intertwined with his family and personal history. For a player whose career has been measured in goals, trophies and records, his latest comments offer a reminder that some of football’s most enduring legacies cannot be quantified.
