According to TyC Sports, Rodrigo De Paul, who plays alongside Lionel Messi for both club and country, recently shared an intriguing anecdote about Messi's visit to the Camp Nou stadium. He revealed further details about the Argentine's deeply emotional and nostalgic "special journey".
De Paul recalled that the day before he was due to depart for the national team training camp, Messi suddenly approached him with a gentle smile and said: "Rodrigo... we're flying to Barcelona first. I want to see the Camp Nou one last time."
At first, he thought Messi was joking. Yet they did indeed depart from Miami aboard a private jet, with only a handful of people privy to the entire plan. Messi wished for this journey to remain quiet, undisturbed by the clamour, cameras or attention.
Upon arrival, they were accommodated at a hotel opposite the Camp Nou. Messi stepped onto the balcony, gazed towards the pitch, and murmured softly, "This place... is part of me." De Paul noted that Messi sounded somewhat emotional when he spoke these words.
De Paul recalled responding with a smile: "Indeed, Leo... no club suits you better than this one."
Messi and De Paul ultimately travelled with the Argentina squad to Angola for a friendly match, which Argentina won 2-0.