Lionel Messi has said in the past that he is not retiring without returning to play in Camp Nou, a sentence that has been cited in the midst of rumors about a return to Barcelona. However, it is unlikely that the Inter Miami star will switch to the place he calls home, Catalonia.
The 37-year-old World Cup winner was out of the contract at the end of 2025, and without talking about a new contract by Inter Miami, although in one way or another of his current deal, his comments have led to a return. Barcelona would certainly not be able to reject it, given the profile and power of Messi at the club, as well as the needs of President Joan Laporta to make Ammends with the man he promised to keep in the club.
Yet the presence of Laporta is exactly why Messi is back to Barcelona is not on the table. Apart from the fact that Messi seems to have pulled the curtain during his time in European football, Guillem Balague has published on his Twitter/X account that a comeback is 'impossible' while Laporta calls the shots. The Catalan journalist notes that it is not in mind, and the most likely conclusion is a different season in Major League Soccer.
It seems much more likely that the return from Messi to Barcelona takes place in the form of a friendly with the Blaugrana, or perhaps an organized opportunity. Indeed, if there is a star of yesteryear to return to Barcelona, it seems much more likely Neymar Junior at the moment.
Laporta was once the only president with which Messi shared a good relationship. He led his election campaign in 2020-21 about the promise that he would stop the departure of Messi, a promise he also made to Messi that summer. When the Argentinian returned from vacation to sign at Barcelona, Laporta informed his father and agent only a few hours before the deal would be signed that they took their offer back because of the club's financial and salary limit.
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