Barcelona president Joan Laporta has dismissed speculation about Lionel Messi returning to the Catalan club, describing the idea as “unrealistic.”
Messi, 38, made a surprise visit to the Camp Nou on Sunday night, telling fans he hoped “one day I can return, and not just to say goodbye as a player, as I never got to do.”
The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner and Barcelona’s all-time top scorer left for Paris Saint-Germain in 2021 after more than 20 years at the club, a departure forced by Barça’s financial troubles.
“Out of respect for Messi, for the professionals at the club, and for our members, I don’t think it’s appropriate to speculate on something that’s unrealistic,” Laporta told Catalunya Ràdio on Wednesday.
Laporta, who was also president when Messi left, said he had no regrets about the decision, insisting that “Barça is above everything.”
He added that the club plans to host a tribute match for Messi once the new Camp Nou is completed.
“Things didn’t end the way we would have liked,” Laporta said. “If a tribute can make up for what wasn’t done, it would be right. He deserves the best tribute in the world — and it should happen here, in front of 105,000 fans.”
Laporta described Messi’s weekend visit as a “spontaneous gesture of affection” toward the club where he spent most of his career.
Messi, who now plays for Inter Miami in Major League Soccer, is currently in Spain with the Argentina national team ahead of a friendly against Angola.
