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'Leo was signed' - Xavi's Messi bombshell rocks Barcelona
Robin Bairner
- 9 Mar 2026 04:12 CDT
- 5 min read
News
Lionel Messi has not returned to Barcelona because president Joan Laporta does not want the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner at the club, former head coach Xavi has claimed in a statement that will send shockwaves through the Blaugrana.
Xavi claims that an agreement was in place for the Inter Miami star to make his grand return to the Blaugrana only for Laporta to shoot the deal down – and he has directly accused the Barca official of lying about the situation.
With the Barcelona presidential election on 15 March, claims that the president did not want the iconic figure back at Camp Nou has the potential to cause a seismic rift, particularly when they come from such a respected figure.
Current ETV
Lionel Messi
F (CR)
Inter Miami
Lionel Messi
F (CR)
Inter Miami
ETV Range
€12.5M - €15.3M
Xavi claims Laporta rejected Messi return
Xavi says Messi was on the verge of returning to Barcelona in 2023.
Speaking to La Vanguardia, he says: “Laporta doesn’t tell the truth there either. Leo was signed. In January 2023, after becoming world champion, we contacted and he tells me that he is excited to return and I see him.
“Laporta begun negotiating the contract with Leo’s father and we had the green light from La Liga, but it is the president who backed out on everything.
“Laporta told me that if Leo came back, there would be a wage war and he couldn’t afford that. And then suddenly Leo stopped picking up the phone because on the other hand they had told him that it could not be done.
“My interest is to tell the truth, which is that Messi is never returning to Barcelona simply because Laporta doesn’t want that - it’s not because of La Liga or Jorge Messi asking for money, that’s all a lie.”
“It’s Laporta who is telling his camp that the club can’t afford him, that Leo has all power, and he can mismanage it.”
What has Laporta said about Messi’s Barcelona return?
Publicly, Laporta has been eager to give the impression that he is eager to heal any issues with the Messi camp.
“The Messi topic makes me sad. I’m a Barca fan, but above everything is the institution. If I were a member, I would understand what the president did for the good of the club,” Laporta told RTVE Catalunya in December.
“I signed Messi’s first contract when he was 16. What we experienced with him is one of the most glorious periods in Barca’s history, if not the most. He deserves a tribute, a statue, full recognition.
“It also depends on the other side. I am willing to fix anything. Messi has given a lot to Barca, and Barca has given a lot to him. I hope we meet again someday.”
Rival Font attacks lack of financial transparency
Laporta’s weakness on Messi has been seen as a potential point of attack for his rivals in the presidential election, although Victor Font, who Laporta is going up against on Sunday, has preferred to target his record over the club’s finances.
Speaking to Catalunya Radio in November, he said: “Last year's closing reflected losses of €90 million. We asked for a restatement because there were overvalued assets, and we were ignored. This year's accounts hide €80 million more in losses that are restatements in last year's accounts, and this hasn't been mentioned; the Assembly isn't aware of it. There's a lack of transparency.”
Why Messi still matters to Laporta's re-election hopes
As Barcelona’s greatest ever player, holding the record for appearances, goals and assists at the club, Messi’s exit via the back door of the club has cast a shadow over his time with the Blaugrana but is also perceived to be a blot on Laporta's second spell as president.
He departed for PSG in the summer of 2021 when the club failed to provide him a new contract because it would have been impossible to register him.
Messi has since had a strained relationship with Laporta, who he found disrespectful for claiming he could have remained at Barca and played for free.
“Never at any moment did they ask me to play for free. They asked me to reduce my salary by 50% and I did it without any problem. We were willing to help the club more. My desire and that of my family was to stay in Barcelona,” he told Sport (via ESPN)
“No one asked me to play for free, but at the same time, the president's words were inappropriate. It hurt because I don't think there was any need to say that.
“It's like taking the ball from you and not accepting the responsibility or taking charge of things. That makes people think and generates doubts that I don't think I deserve.”
Laporta has been unable to heal this rift, which would have been a popular move among fans. In a vote decided by sentiment as much as balance sheets, a public reconciliation with the club’s greatest ever player would surely have been a decisive move in his favour.
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