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Lionel Messi hasn't worn a Barcelona jersey in nearly five years. His sole visit back to Camp Nou since his emotional departure from the club in 2021 occurred during nighttime hours while the stadium underwent renovations. Nevertheless, his impact on the Catalan football institution continues to be overwhelming.
Barcelona's all-time greatest player has declined to publicly endorse either candidate in the club's current presidential race, yet he could still significantly influence the outcome of the March 15 voting.
Messi sits at the heart of this month's electoral battle due to a transfer that never materialized—specifically, his aborted comeback to Barcelona during summer 2023.
Joan Laporta, the frontrunner expected to quickly reclaim the presidential role, was in charge when Messi departed Barcelona in 2021 and when his attempted return fell through two years afterward. The vocal candidate has attempted to minimize these incidents, citing La Liga's rigid financial rules, but legendary former club captain and coach Xavi Hernández has launched an offensive to discredit Laporta's version of events.
Víctor Font, Laporta's sole presidential rival, has pledged to dismiss Deco from his sporting director position, which might subsequently lead to Hansi Flick's exit as head coach. The possibility of transforming Barcelona into a limited company instead of maintaining its fan-owned status has also been discussed. Essentially, this election could dramatically reshape Barcelona's identity both immediately and for years to come.
Laporta's Explanation for Messi's Failed Return
Laporta's Account of Messi's Unsuccessful Comeback
Messi departed Barcelona for Paris Saint-Germain without a transfer fee in 2021. Following a challenging inaugural season adjusting to a new league, nation, and language for the first time in his professional career, Messi found excellent form leading up to the 2022 World Cup, which he would capture with Argentina.
Buoyed by that long-awaited victory, the veteran striker planned his Barcelona comeback with assistance from his father and representative, Jorge.
"In 2023, we drafted the agreement and forwarded it to Jorge Messi," Laporta stated during a public forum with Font, repeating a sequence of events he had previously outlined in his humbly titled memoir, This is How We Saved Barça. "It was mid-March. In May, Jorge visited my residence and informed me it wasn't feasible and that he would face excessive pressure here. That they preferred Miami instead."
Messi clarified at that time that finances were the issue. "I understood that Barcelona needed to offload players or reduce wages, and honestly, I didn't want to experience that situation," he disclosed.
"I genuinely wanted to come back, I was thrilled about the possibility of returning, but simultaneously, after what I went through during my departure, I didn't want to face the same circumstances again. I refused to put my future in another person's control."
Xavi presented a contrasting narrative.
'Leo Was Signed'—Xavi's Scathing Laporta Takedown
'Leo Was Secured'—Xavi's Harsh Laporta Criticism
"The president is being dishonest," Xavi firmly stated during a devastatingly critical assessment of Laporta in La Vanguardia. "Leo was secured.
"In January 2023, following his World Cup victory, we made contact and he expressed his desire to return, and I witnessed it. We communicated until March and I informed him, 'When you give me confirmation, I'll notify the president because I view it as tactically beneficial.'
"We had been discussing with Leo for five months. It was finalized, there were no uncertainties from a football standpoint, and financially we were moving to Montjuïc and we were going to have a farewell tour like [Michael] Jordan's, everything was prepared."
What caused the breakdown? Xavi offered a straightforward answer.
"The president began contract negotiations with Leo's father, and we had La Liga's consent, but it was the president who sabotaged everything," the former midfielder shockingly alleged.
"Laporta told me, word for word, that if Leo returned, he would declare war against him and that he couldn't permit it."
From Xavi's perspective, it was about authority. "Leo isn't joining Barça because the president opposes it," he concluded, "not due to La Liga or because Jorge Messi demands more money—that's false. It's the president and his associates telling him no, that he can't manage it, that he holds all authority and that Messi would abuse that power."
Font has consistently promoted the idea of bringing Messi back to Barcelona in some undefined role. Xavi—who has endorsed Font—maintains that the 38-year-old Inter Miami captain can still compete at Europe's highest level.
"I was desperate for Leo to return, and I still believe he would help the team find the net, deliver crucial passes, without question," the unemployed manager enthused. "He's participating in a World Cup! Leo would succeed again at Camp Nou, and it was his desire and mine. He understands it, he realizes it now, but there was a period when I couldn't reach him. It was unfortunate, but it's the responsibility of those in charge."
Laporta Snaps Back at Xavi
Laporta Responds Sharply to Xavi
Xavi's bombshell interview appeared the day before Laporta faced Font in a highly anticipated debate. The seasoned politician utilized the criticism as a chance to criticize his former manager. "It caught me off guard. It pained me," he admitted. "When I read these comments from Xavi, I consider [Hansi] Flick."
Much of Xavi's interview focused on examining the club's confused decision to remove him as manager during summer 2024. Laporta strangely avoided the harshest criticism in this area, as Xavi bluntly dismissed the president as a figurehead while Alejandro Echeverría, Laporta's former brother-in-law, controlled operations.
Laporta rejected that assertion and instead redirected attention toward the achievements of Xavi's successor, Flick, who secured a domestic treble in his inaugural Barcelona season.
"Very tough choices were made for the club," Laporta reflected. "I did what was necessary. With virtually identical players, Xavi failed and Flick succeeded.
"He's attempting to target Alejandro Echeverría. Both he and [Rafa] Yuste supported Xavi's continuation until the final moment. Xavi has been manipulated by Font. This is an approach I dislike, and Barcelona supporters don't either."
Whether Barcelona supporters approve of this confrontational strategy is irrelevant—Laporta will be more worried about how many of Xavi's shocking allegations they accept.