Lionel Messi’s Return to Barcelona Not Realistic: Club President Laporta

Barcelona President Joan Laporta has downplayed the possibility of Lionel Messi returning to the club, calling it unrealistic, following his surprise visit to the renovated Camp Nou, where he spent 21 years of his glittering career.

Messi, who joined Barcelona’s youth academy at the age of 13 and became the top scorer of all time by scoring 672 goals in 778 matches, left the Catalan team when it was not financially feasible to keep him in the team in 2021.

The 38-year-old World Cup winner, who currently plays for Inter Miami, visited the iconic stadium on Sunday and expressed his desire to return there one day.

“I hope one day I can come back and not just to say goodbye as a player, which I never could,” the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner said.

“Out of respect for Messi, all the club staff and club members, it is not right for me to speculate on something that is unrealistic and this is not the time to do it,” Laporta told Catalunya Radio on Wednesday. he said.

Messi had 10 LaLiga titles, four Champions League titles and three Club World Cup titles during his Barca career.

Messi, who transferred to Paris St Germain on a free transfer after leaving Barça, extended his contract with Inter Miami in October and had previously hinted that the Major League Soccer club would probably be his last contract.

Laporta said that Barça wanted to pay tribute to Messi at Camp Nou after the renovations that will increase the stadium’s capacity to 105,000 are completed.

“He plays for Inter Miami. He knows that he is loved and appreciated for who he is and that he will always be welcome,” Laporta said.

“It’s only fair that he has the best tribute in the world. It would be great to have his memorial here in front of 105,000 fans.”