Camp Nou said an emotional farewell to the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner upon the expiration of his contract. He departed for Paris Saint-Germain as a free agent after Barcelona was unable to negotiate new terms. Sergi Roberto, a fellow graduate of the La Masia academy, was astounded to see the Argentine legend depart, as it was anticipated that he would retire with only one club.

Sergi Roberto stated on the B3TTer podcast, “The departure of Leo Messi greatly shocked me. None of my teammates nor I had anticipated it. We anticipated that he would be renewing. Nobody truly knows what transpired during those days, even though several years have passed. I believed he was destined to play his entire career here. Messi is the greatest player in the history of the club and of all time in football… Expecting to see him in training the following day, he suddenly disappears. It is as if the club were commencing operations anew. He was a member of the club during every prosperous year. It is never observed that he expresses his superiority or the significance he places on others. He consistently prioritises the best interests of the team.

There have been rumours that Sergi Roberto, whose contract expires with Barcelona, might reunite with Lionel Messi at MLS club Inter Miami. Regarding the possibility of pursuing the American dream, the versatile 31-year-old stated, “With Xavi as my coach, I feel extremely at ease. He has faith in me. If the club remains satisfied with me at the conclusion of the season, I will remain. I am in conversation with Barca. At this time, I have no intention of joining another team. Everything said about my potential transfer to Miami or Palmeiras is untrue. While I acknowledge my desire to gain MLS experience in the future, the present moment does not permit such an endeavour. I am currently expressing my desire to remain at Barca. Perhaps I will declare my desire for another experience in the United States or Europe within a year, but that is in the distant future. “It seems improbable that will occur abruptly.”
Messi has already been joined in Florida by Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets, both of whom were formerly Blaugrana teammates. It is anticipated that Luis Suarez, the next ex-Barca superstar to visit DRV PNK Stadium, will do so upon his release from Gremio. Suarez, a Uruguayan forward, parted ways with the Brazilian club prior to entering free agency.