Overview
- Messi phoned Xavi in January 2023, and the pair spoke every 10–15 days as they agreed on a revised role for a Barcelona comeback.
- In April, director Mateu Alemany told Xavi the league had given the go-ahead, and a two-year contract was drafted with only minor details pending.
- Days later, Jorge Messi relayed that approval would not be granted, prompting Barcelona to halt the operation.
- Reporting attributes the collapse to Barcelona’s finances and La Liga’s player-registration rules, after which Messi chose Inter Miami due to prolonged uncertainty.
- Messi has since extended his Inter Miami deal through 2028, and president Joan Laporta has called a playing return to Barcelona unrealistic.