Xavi: 'Laporta blocked Messi's return'

2026-03-09 11:37 © AP

Lionel Messi unexpectedly left Barcelona in the summer of 2021 and moved to Paris Saint-Germain.

Since then, there has been much talk about the possible return of the Argentine to Catalonia, but it never happened.

Most discussions about the potential return of Messi to Barcelona occurred after the 2022 FIFA World Cup, yet even then, one of the greatest football players of all time did not return to Spain.

However, the then coach of Barça, Xavi, revealed that Messi was supposed to return to Catalonia in 2023, but the club president, Joan Laporta, blocked the move.

"After the victory in the World Cup, everything was agreed upon for Messi's return.

The transfer had already been confirmed by La Liga, and Lionel himself was very eager to return. Yet, Laporta blocked Messi's return.

The president told me that Messi's return would start a wage war among players, and the club could not afford that," Xavi revealed while speaking with La Vanguardia.