'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Barcelona president Joan Laporta has acknowledged Lionel Messi's legacy at the club. He highlighted the Argentine's contribution to the club and hoped to pay tribute someday.
The seven-time Ballon d'Or winner had to leave Camp Nou last summer due to the club's financial issues and La Liga's wage rules. He then joined Paris Saint-Germain.
It was certainly a heartbreaking moment for the Argentine and the Blaugrana's fans after he spent over 17 years with the club, achieving the highest of laurels. He won La Liga an incredible 10 times and the Champions League four times. The Argentine also helped the Spanish side complete a sextuple and a treble.
Speaking about his contribution at the Extraordinary General Assembly of FC Barcelona, Laporta said (via El Diario):
“I hope that sooner rather than later we can pay tribute to Lionel Messi. Without him, the last 20 years of Barça cannot be understood.”
Messi played 778 matches for the Blagurana, scoring 672 goals and providing 305 assists. He won the Ballon d'Or a record six times while at the club and the seventh time after moving to PSG.
Lionel Messi contributes to a new cancer center in Barcelona
The Argentine recently made a contribution to Hospital Sant Joan De Deu in Barcelona (via Cuatro). It is a child cancer center that helps children and adolescents fight the deadly disease.
The PSG forward visited the center with wife Anotela Rocuzzo and expressed his elation on Instagram at being able to contribute to the center.
He posted a picture of himself with his wife at the center with the caption:
"I really wanted to visit it. The truth is that it was very exciting to see how everything turned out this afternoon now that the works are finished. I wanted to congratulate everyone who worked on this project."
He added:
"I am very happy to having been able to contribute my grain of sand and I would also like to thank all the people who joined to help in the fight against childhood cancer.”
The center is one of the biggest in the world with the ability to treat around 400 children and adolescents. It will also serve as a research facility along with treating the patients.
