Could Lionel Messi return to Barcelona? Joan Laporta calls rumors of shocking comeback 'not realistic'

Barcelona president Joan Laporta closed the door on a possible comeback of Inter Miami star Lionel Messi to the Spanish club, after the Argentinian striker made a surprising visit to the Spotify Camp Nou over the weekend for the first time since he left the city in the summer 2021. 

Before joining the Argentinian training camp in Alicante ahead of the friendly match against Angola that will take place on Friday, November 14, Messi and his teammate Rodrigo De Paul made an unexpected visit to the new Camp Nou over the weekend and sat down with SPORT.

"I am really looking forward to getting back to the stadium when it's finished because I moved to Paris and I never returned to Camp Nou. And then Barca moved to [the Olympic Stadium in] Montjuïc. It will be strange to go back and see it because the last time I saw it was a long time ago. It will be emotional to get back there and remember everything that was. We miss Barcelona a lot, with the kids, continuously, and my wife, we speak about things in Barcelona. The idea is to return there to live. We have our house there, everything, so that's what we want."

Despite his words, Barcelona president Laporta spoke to Radio Catalunya and downplayed the possibility of an on-field return. "His departure wasn't as we wanted but out of the utmost respect for Messi and everyone at the club, for me to feed speculation that is not realistic is not appropriate. I didn't know he was coming, but Camp Nou is his home. They told me what happened. It was a nice gesture. He had just finished dinner and felt like coming with some friends. It was a spontaneous act in the spirt of Barcelona. It's only fair that Leo should have the most beautiful tribute in the world. When the stadium is finished, we'll have a capacity of 105,000 fans, so we'd like that."

Before joining the MLS and Inter Miami, Messi left Barcelona in the summer 2021 where he spent over 20 years and scored 672 goals in 778 appearances, winning 34 trophies, including four Champions League trophies. However, Barcelona fell afoul of LaLiga financial rules a failed to meet the standards to extend his deal in the summer 2021 and Messi was basically forced out of his beloved club and joined PSG later in the summer before joining Inter Miami in 2023. In October 2025 Messi signed a new deal with the MLS team until the end of the 2028 MLS season, ensuring he'll remain on the field in America past this summer's World Cup.