Barcelona President Joan Laporta has downplayed the possibility of\u00a0Lionel Messi\u00a0returning to the club, calling it unrealistic, following the Argentine\u2019s surprise visit to the revamped Camp Nou, where he spent 21 years of his glittering career.<\/p>\n
Messi, who joined Barca\u2019s youth academy as a 13-year-old and became their all-time leading scorer with 672 goals in 778 appearances, left the Catalan side in 2021 when they could not make it financially viable to keep him.<\/p>\n
The 38-year-old World Cup winner, who now plays for\u00a0Inter Miami, visited the iconic stadium on Sunday and expressed his desire to return there one day.<\/p>\n
\u201cI hope that one day I can return, and not just to say goodbye as a player, as I never got to do,\u201d the eight-times Ballon d\u2019Or winner had said.<\/p>\n
\u201cOut of respect to Messi, all the club staff and the club members, it\u2019s not right for me to speculate on something that would not be realistic, and it\u2019s not the moment to do it,\u201d Laporta told Catalunya Radio on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
During Messi\u2019s storied Barca career, he won 10 LaLiga titles, four Champions League crowns and three Club World Cups.<\/p>\n
Messi, who moved to Paris St Germain on a free transfer after his Barca exit, extended his contract with Inter Miami in October and has previously hinted that the Major League Soccer club would likely be his last.<\/p>\n
Laporta said that Barca would like to give Messi a tribute at Camp Nou once the renovations are set to expand the stadium\u2019s capacity to 105 000 are completed.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s playing for Inter Miami. He knows he\u2019s loved and appreciated for who he is and that he\u2019ll always be welcome,\u201d Laporta said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s only fair that he should have the best tribute in the world. It would be wonderful to have his tribute here, in front of 105 000 fans.\u201d<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
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