Barcelona has replied to speculations that Lionel Messi could return to the club on a temporary basis.
Messi left the Spanish giants in 2021, after a 21-year affiliation, as the club was unable to register his new contract with La Liga owing to financial difficulties.
After two years with PSG, he joined Inter Miami when his contract expired.
Messi helped Inter Miami win the 2023 Leagues Cup just a month after arriving in the United States, and he will seek to help the team become an MLS contender alongside fellow new players Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba.
He will begin a demanding pre-season schedule with his new team, taking on Messi’s boyhood club Newell’s Old Boys, and Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al Nassr in January and February, respectively.
According to sources, Barcelona is interested in bringing him back – but not in the typical sense.
Instead, an exhibition match is apparently in the works, which would effectively serve as a farewell for the Argentine great, given his imminent departure on a free transfer in 2021.
According to Football Transfers, the match is scheduled for November 29, 2024, to coincide with the club’s 125th anniversary. Cristiano Ronaldo and Ronaldinho have been mentioned as possible participants.
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Barcelona president Joan Laporta has already responded to suggestions that the club wants to reintroduce Messi for a special match.
He told Spanish outlet EFE: “We are open to doing it whenever he wants.
“Messi is the best player in history, and because we respect and adore him, he, of course, deserves to be honoured in Barcelona.
“I do not know whether Messi will be honoured when we return to Spotify Camp Nou at the end of 2024 or when the stadium is completely built by June 2026.”
When asked about reports of a possible short-term loan bid for Messi during the MLS season break, Laporta said: “I believe that this is not even allowed by FIFA.”
