Will Barcelona ask about Lionel Messi loan? Inter Miami transfer question answered by Joan Laporta as Blaugrana president admits tribute game may not happen until 2026

Speculation regarding a possible return to Camp Nou for the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner has raged for some time, with the decision taken not to retrace steps to Catalunya when heading for the United States in the summer of 2023. A short-term loan has now been mooted, but Messi is enjoying a well-earned break and the Blaugrana have no intention of putting transfer questions to Inter Miami co-owner David Beckham.

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Laporta has told EFE when asked about the loan rumours: “News of all kinds come out, but I believe that this is not even allowed by FIFA.”

He added when pressed again on why Messi did not return to Barca when severing ties with Paris Saint-Germain as a free agent: “In the end, it didn’t happen, because what he told us was totally logical: because of the pressure he had been under in Paris he preferred to go to Inter Miami because that would give him some stability. A decision that we respect.”

While Messi is unlikely to ever play for Barcelona again, there has been talk of an exhibition game being lined up that would allow him to say thank you and farewell to a fan base that still adores him. There were suggestions that such a fixture could take place in 2024 – with Cristiano Ronaldo and Ronaldinho potentially taking part – but Laporta said when quizzed on that topic: “We are open to doing it whenever he wants. Messi is the best player in history, and because we respect and adore him, he, of course, deserves to be honoured in Barcelona. I do not know whether Messi will be honoured when we return to Spotify Camp Nou at the end of 2024 or when the stadium is completely built by July 2026.”

Messi is tied to a contract at Inter Miami through 2025, with there an option within those terms for a 12-month extension. That may be triggered if he decides to compete at the 2026 World Cup, while Barca could also be left waiting on an emotional return to a spiritual home for one of their own.