Lionel Messi 'very, very angry with Joan Laporta' over Barcelona exit and demanded Neymar be brought back after PSG sale, former club chief reveals

Former Barcelona vice president Mestre has reignited debate over Messi’s controversial 2021 departure. Speaking to Sports360, Mestre said that Messi and his family remain “very, very angry with Laporta” over the way his exit unfolded.

“Whatever we do for him will be too little. What he's given us is impressive. Not just on a sporting level, but also on a financial level: the tours with Leo Messi were one thing, and the tours without Messi were another. It's true that he earned a very good salary, but he earned it, and he also made the club a lot of money,” Mestre said.

Messi's exit was not only emotional but economically devastating for Barcelona. The fallout reportedly stemmed from broken promises surrounding contract renewal talks which Messi believed Laporta failed to honour.

"There were players who came to Barça because they wanted to play with Messi, world-class stars who wanted to come because Leo was there. I know, from third parties, that Leo Messi and his family are very, very angry with Laporta. Very angry. What he said about the barbecue... we've seen it before. Now, I don't know what they have in mind, but I think whatever we do for Messi will be too little," Mestre said.

One of the most striking revelations from Mestre’s interview was Messi’s demand to bring Neymar back after the Brazilian’s €222 million world-record move to Paris Saint-Germain in 2017.

“Leo wanted him back. He told me, ‘I want Neymar back,’” Mestre revealed.

Messi saw Neymar as the perfect partner — the creative balance that could keep Barcelona dominant. Neymar’s technical brilliance and one-on-one ability gave Messi space to operate freely. According to Mestre, Neymar was meant to be Messi’s heir in the team’s long-term structure.

"I feel really bad that Neymar didn't work out, because he was an extraordinary player. Theoretically, he had to be, within our plans, a bit of Leo's dolphin. And Leo wanted him back, he told me: 'I want Neymar back.' And I understand, because he was doing very well, one-on-one, if Leo had to do everything it was one thing, but if Leo and Neymar did it, things changed," explains Mestre.

The “MSN” trio - Messi, Luis Suarez, and Neymar - had formed one of football’s most lethal attacking partnerships, netting 302 goals together and delivering the 2015 Champions League title. Neymar’s departure fractured that chemistry, and Messi’s request to reunite with him showed not just nostalgia but his belief that Barca needed Neymar to stay competitive at the top level.

Neymar’s 2017 move to PSG shocked the football world and Barcelona’s dressing room alike. Mestre admitted that even the club’s senior players were unaware of his decision at the time.

“Not even the players knew he was leaving. A very important player told me they were at Messi’s wedding, sitting at the same table, and Neymar never mentioned anything. Later, over time, I put the pieces together and related how the whole issue of his departure worked, with Pini Zahavi involved. And we already know who Pini Zahavi is a good friend of, and that's as far as I can go,” Mestre said.

Behind the scenes, the move was orchestrated by super-agent Zahavi, who negotiated directly with PSG. Neymar’s motivations were complex which included financial gains, the desire to be a Ballon d’Or frontrunner, and playing alongside Brazilian teammates like Thiago Silva and Dani Alves. His contract with PSG reportedly offered an annual income of €30m (£26m/$35m) plus a €40m (£34m/$46m) signing bonus.

Barcelona later won a €16m lawsuit against Neymar’s camp, though Mestre accused Laporta of forgiving the sum after private meetings with Zahavi. “We won in the second instance, and yet Laporta went to Israel and forgave it,” he said, hinting at questionable management decisions during Laporta’s tenure.

Messi’s connection with Neymar ran deeper than professional chemistry. When Neymar first contemplated leaving, Messi tried to persuade him to stay, even offering to help him win the Ballon d’Or.

“What do you want? Do you want to win the Ballon d’Or? I will make you the Golden Ball winner,” Messi reportedly told Neymar, promising to take a deeper role so Neymar could shine. Their friendship survived beyond transfers as Messi later reunited with Neymar at PSG, though that chapter, too, ended without the success fans hoped for.

Mestre’s revelations underline a painful truth that Barcelona’s golden generation crumbled not because of lost talent, but because of mistrust, mismanagement, and fractured relationships at the top. What began as football’s most beautiful partnership ended in disillusionment, leaving fans wondering what could have been had Messi’s loyalty been matched by leadership.