Barcelona are reportedly planning to bring Lionel Messi back to the Camp Nou after their greatest-ever player left in 2021.
A partnership that many thought would last forever came to a surprise end when Messi was forced to leave because of Barcelona’s financial difficulties.
The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner departed for PSG before moving to his current club Inter Miami in 2023 but apparently the Catalan club are working on bringing their former number 10 back to Spain before he ends his career.
Messi will turn 38 in the summer but according to Maximiliano Grillo on TNT Sports Argentina, the club wants to bring him back after the 2026 World Cup, held in the United States.
As for their motives, Grillo claims Barcelona want Messi back for the opening of their new stadium as well as to give him a proper send-off.
Messi’s 778th and final game for Barcelona came in a 2-1 home defeat to Celta Vigo but was played in front of an empty stadium due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Bringing Messi back would be difficult though with the player on a handsome wage at Inter Miami as well as the question of whether the player even wants to return to Europe but the club want to “slowly prepare” for his transfer.
The idea of Messi returning to Barcelona was brought into serious consideration when family friend Yanina Latorre told Argentina newspaper La Nacion Messi wanted to return after his time in Miami was over.
“He told me that when he finishes here [in Miami], where he is happy, he will return to Barcelona.”
Apparently, when Messi was pushed on staying past his current Miami contract, which ends at the conclusion of the 2025 MLS season, the player refuted the idea saying “No, my place is there [Barcelona].”
Miami though remain optimistic that they could convince Messi to continue his American stay. Managing owner Jorge Mas said in 2024 that he would sit down with the player to discuss the future.
“Leo and I will sit down to discuss the future,” Mas said.
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“I fully expect that in the opening of our new stadium in 2026, and the start of another successful MLS season, Leo Messi will be our No. 10.”
Messi remains the greatest player ever to play for Barcelona and to many, the greatest football of all time.
During his 17 years in Spain, Messi scored 672 goals and registered 269 assists. With him leading the way, Barcelona won 10 league titles, seven Copa del Reys and four Champions Leagues.
In 2022, he completed a life goal by winning the World Cup with Argentina in Qatar.
