Argentina and Inter Miami captain Lionel Messi endured a difficult departure from Barcelona in 2021 after his former club failed to reach a contract agreement due to financial troubles. And he has since been linked to a return to the Catalan outfit.
Now, Blaugrana president Joan Laporta has revealed that an incident at a Ballon d’Or award ceremony has been a decisive juncture in his side’s relationship with the player.
Barcelona President Opens Up on Lionel Messi Snub
During a recent interaction on Catalunya Radio, Laporta confirmed that Messi has distanced himself from Barcelona over the years, shedding light on a snub in 2023.
“The relationship with him isn’t what it used to be. There was also an incident at the Ballon d’Or ceremony where I went to greet him, and he felt we shouldn’t greet each other. Since then, there has been some rapprochement, and hopefully, this will continue in the future. The relationship is strained, but he’s a Barcelona legend,” Laporta commented.
The Inter Miami superstar fueled speculations after secretly visiting Barcelona’s Camp Nou Stadium in November last year. Opining on the Argentine’s return after five years, he said, “I knew he was in Barcelona because the Argentine national team was playing here, but I didn’t know anything about the other reason. It’s clear that if Messi wants to go onto the pitch, he should be allowed in whenever possible. It’s his home.”
Laporta, whose current presidential term is set to come to an end, proposed erecting a statue of the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner at the Camp Nou.
“Leo deserves a statue at Camp Nou like the ones (Johan) Cruyff and (László) Kubala have. He deserves a tribute and we believe the right time to do it is when the stadium is completely finished and has a capacity of over 100,000.”
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Between 2004 and 2021, Messi spearheaded Barcelona to a whopping 34 trophies and also became their all-time top goalscorer. He found the back of the net 672 times and recorded 303 assists in 778 games in all competitions for the Hansi Flick-coached team.
Messi, who tasted defeat in Inter Miami’s 2026 Major League Soccer (MLS) 3-0 loss against Los Angeles FC on Saturday, is focused on the upcoming FIFA World Cup. He has previously hinted he could hang up his boots after the 2026 edition of the tournament.
However, the 38-year-old has a contract until December 2028 with the MLS champions. He is next set to be in action in the Herons’ game against Orlando City on Sunday, March 1.
