Lionel Messi will not return to Barcelona as a player – report | OneFootball

Lionel Messi made history once again by securing the eighth Ballon d’Or title of his career, thanks to his plaudits in the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

Currently plying his trade for Inter Miami in MLS, he has already racked up 11 goals and five assists in his first 14 games in North America.

But had things transpired a bit differently in the summer, Messi could easily have been playing for Barcelona this season.

Indeed, the Argentine was closely linked with a return to Catalonia, following the end of his contract at Paris Saint-Germain during the summer. But the club once again failed to complete the deal, with Messi ultimately joining Inter Miami.

Messi won’t return to Barcelona as a player

After moving to Inter Miami, Messi did confirm that his first choice was to return to Barcelona this past summer.

Now, as things stand, the possibility of Messi returning to Barça as a player is completely over, according to Achraf Ben Ayad.

Addressing a question in a Q&A session on X, the journalist confirmed a fan that Messi won’t return to Barcelona as a player. That ship appears to have sailed.

Messi may not return to Barcelona anymore (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

This is hardly surprising. Messi is currently 36, and his current contract at Inter Miami doesn’t expire until the end of 2025.

It is unlikely that the Argentine would likely continue further. Even if he does, he might want to either try his luck in Saudi Arabia, a country with which he has close commercial ties or return to his youth club Newell Old Boys in Argentina.

Will Messi make a coaching return?

It is too early to predict whether or not Messi could return to Barcelona one day as a coach, just like Xavi Hernandez.

However, the Argentine international has implied multiple times that he does not enjoy the idea of coaching any team, although he has previously spoken about a future as a director.

With that in mind, it is unlikely that Messi would return to Barça as a coach. However, he could soon return to Camp Nou to play the highly-awaited tribute match.