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Why did Lionel Messi leave Barcelona and will he ever return?
FT Desk
- 23 Oct 2025 09:00 CDT
- 4 min read
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If Lionel Messi had his way, he would have been a one-club man, retiring with Barcelona when he eventually decides to hang up his boots
Instead, he was forced out of Camp Nou due to financial issues, hooking up with former team-mate Neymar in a star-studded Paris Saint-Germain squad.
At the moment, the legendary Argentine is winding down his career at Major League Soccer side Inter Miami, though rumours do persist about a potential return to Barcelona in some capacity.
Why did Messi’s relationship with Barcelona break down?
As Barcelona’s greatest ever player, holding the record for appearances, goals and assists at the club, Messi’s exit via the backdoor of Camp Nou has cast a shadow over his time with the Blaugrana.
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.
La Liga's salary cap was crippling Barcelona at the time as not only could they not register new players, but retaining players on big contracts proved impossible.
Messi has since had a strained relationship with club president Joan 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.”
Would Messi ever return to Barcelona?
For Laporta, healing this rift with Messi would be a popular move among fans and would be a significant step to re-election in Barcelona’s most powerful position.
However, the Argentine is still reportedly furious at how he was treated.
His relationship with the club has since been described as “fractured”, yet the president is eager to get the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner back onside as he seeks to defend his position in the upcoming election.
Current ETV
Lionel Messi
F, AM (R)
Inter Miami
Lionel Messi
F, AM (R)
Inter Miami
ETV Range
€6.2M - €8.3M
The 38-year-old’s position on healing old wounds is very clear, according to Jordi Mestre, former vice-president of sport at Barcelona.
He told the Sports360 Podcast: “I know from third parties that Leo Messi and his family are very angry with Laporta. Very angry. That talk about fixing things over a barbecue - well, we’ve seen how that turned out: nothing.”
Mestre believes that Barcelona need to make a grand gesture towards the World Cup winner to cement his legacy.
“I think anything we do for Leo Messi will never be enough. Yes, he earned a good salary, but he more than earned it. He made the club a lot of money. World-class players wanted to come because Leo Messi was here,” he said.
“I would do something historic for him - something that ensures his name lives on from generation to generation. I don’t know, maybe a Leo Messi stand or something like that.”
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