According to reports, six years after Barcelona’s last appearance in the Champions League semifinals—a bitter night at Anfield against Liverpool—the Blaugrana are once again among Europe’s top four teams. This marks their first success without Lionel Messi on the pitch.

After Messi’s painful departure from Barcelona—first to Paris and then to Miami—the club has finally reconciled with its past struggles and returned to the semifinals. Following several failed attempts, they are now one step away from reaching the continental final—a goal that seemed difficult without Messi, at least in the short to medium term.

After Messi’s departure, Barcelona had fallen out of the top four; with back-to-back group-stage eliminations and a quarterfinal exit in the 2023-24 season, losing 6-4 on aggregate to Paris Saint-Germain.

Under Hansi Flick’s leadership, Barcelona has reached this stage after six years and will now face Bayern Munich or Inter in the semifinals, aiming to return to the final for the first time in a decade. Their last major final was against Juventus in Berlin when the MSN trio led the team.

On the other hand, Lionel Messi also struggled in the Concacaf Champions Cup with Inter Miami, losing in last season’s quarterfinals to Monterrey. Now, Inter Miami, led by the Argentine star, has reached the semifinals and will face the Vancouver Whitecaps.

Messi, just like Barcelona, has found his way after leaving the club. Despite recent club-level hardships, he has won two Copa América titles and the 2022 FIFA World Cup with Argentina.