Lionel Messi has said in the past that he will not retire without returning to play at Camp Nou, a phrase that has been cited amidst rumours of a return to Barcelona. However the Inter Miami star is unlikely to make a switch back to the place he calls home, Catalonia.
The 37-year-old World Cup-winner is out of contract at the end of 2025, and with no talk of a fresh contract from Inter Miami yet, albeit some way from his current deal’s expiry, his comments have sparked rumours of a return. Barcelona would certainly be in no position to turn it down, given Messi’s profile and power at the club, as well as President Joan Laporta’s need to make ammends with the man he promised to keep at the club.
Vitor Roque to Palmeiras is almost done. @FabrizioRomano
— barcacentre (@barcacentre) February 27, 2025
Yet Laporta’s presence is precisely the reason why Messi heading back to Barcelona is not on the table. Beyond the fact that Messi appears to have drawn the curtain on his time in European football, Guillem Balague has published on his Twitter/X account that a comeback is ‘impossible’ while Laporta is calling the shots. The Catalan journalist notes that it is not on Messi’s mind, and the most likely conclusion is another season in Major League Soccer.
It seems far more likely that Messi’s return to Barcelona takes place in the form of a friendly with the Blaugrana, or perhaps an organised occasion. Indeed, if there is a star of yesteryear to return to Barcelona, it seems far more likely to be Neymar Junior at this point.
Couple of things on this story
Messi contract ends up at the end of the season
Messi has got no intention to return to Barcelona. I would say it is impossible while Laporta is in charge
Quite likely, Inter Miami will convince him to remain at the club https://t.co/B1PDmr3BDs
— Guillem Balague (@GuillemBalague) February 26, 2025
Laporta was at one time the one president that Messi has shared a good relationship with. He ran his election campaign in 2020-21 on the promise that he would stop Messi’s departure, a promise that he also made to Messi that summer. When the Argentine arrived back from holidays to sign with Barcelona, Laporta informed his father and agent just hours before the deal was due to be signed that they were withdrawing their offer due to the club’s financial and salary limit situation.
