Barcelona president Joan Laporta dismissed the possibility of Lionel Messi returning to the club as a player, calling such speculation \"not realistic\" following the Inter Miami star\'s surprise visit to Spotify Camp Nou this week.
Messi, 38, made an unannounced visit to Barcelona\'s stadium on Sunday before joining the Argentina squad in Spain. He later posted images on social media expressing hope to \"return for the goodbye I never got to say as a player.\"
Laporta addressed the speculation in an interview with Catalunya Radio. The club president emphasized his respect for Messi while tempering expectations about a competitive return.
\"His departure wasn\'t as we wanted,\" Laporta said. \"But out of the utmost respect for Messi and everyone at the club, for me to feed speculation that is not realistic is not appropriate.\"
The Barcelona president admitted he was unaware of Messi\'s visit beforehand. The club\'s record goal scorer arrived with teammate Rodrigo de Paul and was granted access by security staff.
\"I didn\'t know he was coming, but Camp Nou is his home,\" Laporta said. \"It was a spontaneous act in the spirit of Barcelona.\"
It marked Messi\'s first return to the stadium since his departure to Paris Saint-Germain in 2021.
Laporta expressed interest in organizing a tribute match for Messi once stadium renovations are complete. The redeveloped venue will have a capacity of 105,000 fans.
\"It\'s only fair that Leo should have the most beautiful tribute in the world,\" Laporta added.
Messi spent over 20 years at Barcelona, scoring 672 goals in 778 appearances across 17 first-team seasons. He won 34 trophies with the club, including 10 LaLiga titles and four Champions League crowns.
The Argentine forward recently signed a contract extension with Inter Miami through the 2028 MLS season. He will be 41 when the deal expires.