Barcelona ‘chapter is closed’ for Messi after Mendes ‘complete nightmare’ warning | OneFootball

Inter Miami star Lionel Messi will not return to Barcelona as a player ‘under any circumstances’ with his chapter there now ‘closed’, according to reports.

The Argentina legend will go down as one of the best, if not the best, player in the history of football when he eventually hangs up his boots.

Messi has scored 791 goals in 970 club appearances and 114 goals in 195 caps for Argentina with the forward winning everything the game has to offer, including eight Ballon d’Ors.

As a Barcelona player, Messi won ten La Liga titles, seven Copa del Reys, seven Spanish Super Cups, four Champions Leagues, three UEFA Super Cups and three FIFA Club World Cups.

There have been rumours that Messi could return to Europe or another top competitive league ahead of the 2026 World Cup as he looks to turn up sharp ahead of the tournament in North America.

Messi made an impromptu visit to the Camp Nou, which is in the middle of redevelopment, on Sunday ahead of Argentina playing Spain over the international break.

Following the visit, Messi wrote on social media: “Last night I returned to a place I miss with all my heart.

“A place where I was immensely happy, where you all made me feel a thousand times over like the happiest person in the world.

“I hope I can return someday, and not just to say goodbye as a player, which I never got to do…”

The social media post created a lot of excitement about a potential return before comments that he misses Barcelona appeared earlier this week.

Messi told Sport: “I’m really looking forward to going back there. We miss Barcelona a lot. My wife and I, the kids, are always talking about Barcelona, ​​about the idea of ​​living there again. We have our house there, everything, so that’s what we want.”

But Alfredo Martinez has poured cold water on the rumours with the Spanish journalist insisting that there is no chance Messi plays for Barcelona again – but he could return in an off-field role.

Martinez wrote on X: ‘Leo Messi, under no circumstances is considering a return to Barcelona as a footballer. That chapter is closed. He has a long-term contract in Miami. He goes season by season. If he returns, it would be more for the offices, in the sports area. He is Barcelona’s heritage and hopefully he returns someday.’

And Barcelona president Joan Laporta insisted on Wednesday that Messi’s return was “not realistic” after being asked about the Argentina star’s visit to the Camp Nou.

When asked about the possibility of Messi returning, Laporta told Catalunya Radio: “His departure wasn’t as we wanted. But out of the utmost respect for Messi and everyone at the club, for me to feed speculation that is not realistic is not appropriate.”

While other reports in Spain claim that super agent Jorge Mendes, who works closely with a number of big clubs, has warned Barcelona against re-signing Messi.

The report said: ‘The reality is that the idea of ​​Messi and Lamine Yamal sharing the pitch sounds like a Barcelona fan’s fantasy. But it’s something that could actually happen.

‘However, it remains to be seen if the fit will be as good as some fans’ dreams promise. If things don’t go well, it could turn from a dream into a complete nightmare. This is why Jorge Mendes has already issued a significant warning to Joan Laporta on this matter. It’s best that he carefully consider Messi ‘s potential return.’