Reuters
[Photo Credit: Reuters]
Barcelona president Joan Laporta has downplayed the possibility of Lionel Messi returning to the club, calling it unrealistic, following the Argentine’s surprise visit to the revamped Camp Nou, where he spent 21 years of his glittering career.
Messi, who joined Barca’s youth academy as a 13-year-old and became their all-time leading scorer with 672 goals in 778 appearances, left the Catalan side in 2021 when they could not make it financially viable to keep him.
The 38-year-old World Cup winner, who now plays for Inter Miami, visited the iconic stadium on Sunday and expressed his desire to return there one day.
During Messi’s storied Barca career, he won 10 LaLiga titles, four Champions League crowns and three Club World Cups.
Messi, who moved to Paris St Germain on a free transfer after his Barca exit, extended his contract with Inter Miami in October and has previously hinted that the Major League Soccer club would likely be his last.
Laporta said that Barca would like to give Messi a tribute at Camp Nou once the renovations — set to expand the stadium’s capacity to 105,000 — are completed.
Stream the best of Fiji on VITI+. Anytime. Anywhere.
