Report claims Messi will return to Barcelona in 2026 | OneFootball

According to an article in an Argentine newspaper quoted by Adam Drury at Goal.com, all-time soccer MVP and Inter Miami captain Lionel Messi will return to Barcelona when his contract expires at the end of this year.

An article published by La Nacion, based in Buenos Aires, included comments by Yanina Latorre, identified as a friend of the Messi family. Below is Drury’s translation of her words:

“ ‘He [Messi] told me that when he finishes here [in Miami], where he is happy, he will return to Barcelona.’ Latorre was also asked if Messi has indicated that he could still extend his stay in Miami, to which she claims he replied: ‘No, my place is there.’ “

Inter Miami is anxious to extend Messi’s contract through at least 2026, when the team will move into Miami Freedom Park.

“I fully expect that in the opening of our new stadium in 2026 and the opening of our 2026 MLS season after a trophy-laden 2025 season, that Leo Messi will be our No. 10,” Inter Miami co-owner Jorge Mas said after last season.

Messi, 37, was born in Rosario, Argentina, and began his youth soccer career with Grandoli and Newell’s Old Boys, but moved to Barcelona FC as a 13-year-old in the year 2000. Messi played for the Blaugrana senior team beginning in 2004 and starred for the Spanish side until it was forced to release him due to financial difficulties in 2021. After two years at Paris Saint-Germain, the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner surprised the soccer world by signing a three-year deal with Club International de Futbol Miami in 2023.

As of this writing, there had been no comment from Messi or Inter Miami concerning the report.

What does this news mean for Inter Miami? That remains to be seen. Of course, as a Herons fan, I want Messi to retire wearing Pink and Black. But as a Messi fan, I want he and his family to be happy. When speculation began about Messi’s destination after Paris, I guessed Barcelona or Argentina were the most logical possibilities for purely personal reasons. I believe that even more strongly now, after Messi led the Herons to Leagues Cup and Supporters’ Shield trophies and earned the 2024 Major League Soccer MVP award.

No matter what happens in 2025, Inter Miami supporters must be willing to accept whatever decision Messi makes about his future. The incredible success he’s brought to the club, both on and of the pitch, deserves our unflagging respect and gratitude.