Barcelona president Joan Laporta said Lionel Messi returning to the club as a player is “not realistic” after the Inter Miami star’s surprise appearance at Spotify’s Camp Nou this week.
Messi (38 years old) made an impromptu visit on Sunday to Barcelona’s stadium, which is still under development, before joining the Argentina national team in Spain.
He later posted the photos on social media alongside a caption saying he hoped to “get back to say the goodbyes I couldn’t say as a player.”
In an interview with Diario Sport, he then confirmed his desire to return to the city in the future, but Laporta poured water on any hopes of wearing a Barcelona shirt competitively again.
“His departure was not what we wanted,” Laporta told Catalunya Radio when asked about a hypothetical return for Messi. He added: “But out of great respect for Messi and everyone at the club, raising unrealistic speculation is not appropriate for me.”
Laporta admitted that he was as surprised as anyone else by Messi’s unexpected appearance at Camp Nou on Sunday.
The club’s all-time record goalscorer arrived unannounced, along with teammate and international Rodrigo De Paul, and were allowed in by security staff.
It was his first time back on the field since his hasty exit to Paris Saint-Germain in 2021, and Laporta hopes it will serve as the first step towards organizing a tribute match for him when the renovation is fully finished.
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Laporta added: “I didn’t know he was coming, but the Camp Nou is his home.” “They told me what happened. It was a nice gesture. He had just finished dinner and felt like coming over with some friends. It was a spontaneous act in the spirit of Barcelona.”
“It’s only fair that Leo gets the most beautiful honor in the world. When the stadium is finished, we will have the capacity to hold 105,000 fans, so we want that.”
Messi spent more than 20 years at Barcelona and 17 seasons in the first team, scoring 672 goals in 778 matches and winning 34 titles, including 10 Spanish League titles and four Champions League titles.
He left for Paris Saint-Germain in 2021, before joining Inter Miami in 2023. He recently signed a contract extension to extend his stay at the Florida club until the end of the 2028 MLS season, when he will be 41 years old.
