Xavi Hernandez revealed that Argentine star Lionel Messi nearly transferred back to Barcelona after the 2022 World Cup, explaining why the deal did not happen.
On 9 Mar 2026 GMT+7, Xavi Hernandez, former Spanish coach of Barcelona, the renowned La Liga team, disclosed that Argentine star Lionel Messi almost returned to the club after the 2022 World Cup, revealing the reasons the deal fell through.
Back in 2021, Lionel Messi was forced to leave Barcelona after his contract expired. Although there had been a verbal agreement to extend his contract after the Copa America, where he led Argentina to the title, the deal failed because the team's player wages exceeded La Liga's salary cap. Even if he had agreed to play for free, Spanish law prohibits working without pay.
However, after the 2022 World Cup, which Messi won with Argentina, he almost returned to Barcelona once his contract with Paris Saint-Germain ended. This time, the deal nearly materialized, but club president Joan Laporta intervened and blocked it, leading Messi to transfer to Inter Miami in the U.S. league instead.
Xavi Hernandez stated, "He (Joan Laporta) did not tell the truth about Lionel Messi because in fact, Messi had agreed to return. I remember in January 2023, after he won the World Cup, I contacted Messi and he told me he was very excited to come back."
"We talked until March, then I informed the club president, and La Liga had already approved it. But when he spoke with Messi's father, the president canceled everything. He said that if Messi returned, the club would have salary problems. He did not want the deal to happen. The rumors that Messi's father demanded a large sum are not true. I believe Messi will never return to Barcelona as long as Joan Laporta remains president."