Inside Story of Lionel Messis Failed Barcelona Return in 2023

Reports reveal that Lionel Messi was close to returning to Barcelona in 2023 after repeated talks with Xavi, who believed Messi could still make a big impact. La Liga initially approved a two year deal, but Barcelona later informed Jorge Messi that the move could not happen. Tired of uncertainty, Messi chose Inter Miami instead.

For the Barcelona faithful, the long awaited Lionel Messi return in 2023 felt closer than ever, but fresh details now explain why it never happened. According to a new report, Messi first contacted Xavi in January 2023, telling him he had made a final decision to come back. The two spoke regularly every 10 to 15 days, discussing ideas, positional adjustments and a reduced but influential role for Messi. Both fully agreed on how he would fit into the squad that later went on to win La Liga.

By February, Messi even asked Xavi to coordinate talks with Jorge Messi to speed up the move. Joan Laporta was enthusiastic, hoping to heal the emotional wound left in 2021. In April, football director Mateu Alemany informed Xavi that La Liga had given the green light and that the deal was essentially prepared. Barcelona had drafted a two year contract and only minor details remained.

However, everything collapsed abruptly. Jorge Messi later told Xavi that La Liga had not approved the move after all and that the operation could not proceed. Barcelona’s stance shifted, certainty disappeared, and Messi, exhausted by the delays, sealed his switch to Inter Miami. His renewed contract there now makes a final Barcelona chapter as a player highly unlikely.