De Paul on Messi's Secret Camp Nou Visit: "He Sat Looking at the Stadium from the Hotel Balcony and Told Me: 'This Place Holds a Part of Me'"

Rodrigo De Paul, Inter Miami player and close friend of Lionel Messi, has revealed details of a "secret" trip he took with the Argentine star to Barcelona to visit the Camp Nou stadium.

De Paul stated in comments reported by the Spanish newspaper "Sport": "Before we traveled to Argentina, Messi, with his calm smile, told me: 'De Paul, we'll stop in Barcelona first. I want to see Camp Nou.' I thought he was joking."

He added: "We traveled by private jet from Miami, and no one knew we were in Barcelona. Messi wanted peace and quiet, no noise, no cameras. We stayed in a hotel opposite the stadium, and he sat on the balcony looking at Camp Nou and said in a low voice: 'This whole place holds a part of me.' I couldn't respond, I just smiled and told him: 'Leo, there's no club in the world that deserves you more than Barcelona.'"

De Paul noted that there are still details yet to be disclosed, such as their visit inside Barcelona's stadium and their meal at the Princesa Sofia hotel, confirming that these emotional moments will be recounted at a later time.