Xavi Claims Laporta Blocked Messi's Barcelona Return

Former FC Barcelona coach Xavi Hernández has said Lionel Messi was on the verge of returning to the club in early 2023, but that then president Joan Laporta halted the move. In an interview published this week, Xavi described talks that began in January 2023 after Argentina’s World Cup triumph and said negotiations had advanced with Messi’s father, Jorge Messi, and that LaLiga had given its approval.

According to Xavi’s account, Messi was enthusiastic about a symbolic final spell at Barcelona and preparations were well underway when Laporta intervened. Xavi said Laporta told him Messi’s presence would provoke internal conflict and that he could not allow the transfer to proceed. Xavi also rejected explanations attributing the collapse of the deal to salary cap rules or additional financial demands, calling those reasons inaccurate.

Messi joined Inter Miami in the summer of 2023. Xavi’s recent statements are drawn from his personal account of the 2023 discussions; Joan Laporta has not publicly commented on the claims. The exact motivations behind Messi’s move to Major League Soccer have not been fully disclosed.

Xavi also reflected on his own departure from Barcelona and described tensions between his position and the club leadership at the time. He said the episode over Messi’s potential return was part of broader disagreements within the club during his tenure. Xavi and Laporta are reported to be back in contact personally, according to Xavi’s interview.

The disclosures arrive as Barcelona approaches presidential elections, a moment when decisions from recent years are likely to receive renewed scrutiny. Whether Xavi’s account prompts further comment from club officials or from Messi’s camp remains to be seen, but the former coach’s version of events has already refocused attention on the choices that shaped the former captain’s post Barcelona path.