Amidst Inter Miami’s dominant 2025 season and the recent inking of his contract extension until 2028, Lionel Messi has cemented his present and near future in Major League Soccer. Yet, across the Atlantic, the debate over a potential return to FC Barcelona is not merely a nostalgic whisper but has transformed into a central plank of a political campaign. As the club prepares for pivotal presidential elections in 2026, candidate Marc Ciria has publicly vowed that his first order of business would be to bring the club’s greatest legend back home, signaling that the Messi-Barcelona saga has officially entered its political phase.
This political promise, captured in a recent campaign event, taps into a deep and unhealed wound for Barcelona and its global fanbase. Messi’s departure in August 2021 was not the culmination of a fading career but a brutal, sudden rupture caused by crippling financial constraints. Despite both player and club agreeing to a new contract, a tearful Messi announced he could not stay because Barcelona, hamstrung by LaLiga’s strict salary limit rules, was unable to register him. The abruptness of the exit, without a proper farewell in a stadium still echoing with pandemic restrictions, left a profound sense of incompleteness.
Now, nearly half a decade later and with the player enjoying immense success abroad, the conversation has shifted. It is no longer a question of whether the sporting project needs him but whether the institution, still navigating financial recovery, requires his symbolic and commercial power. Marc Ciria, who has positioned himself as a challenger to current president Joan Laporta, frames the mission in almost existential terms. “We need Leo Messi and we will do whatever it takes to bring him back,” he declared to supporters. He envisions a relationship that transcends the pitch, aiming to build a legacy akin to “the Michael Jordan-Nike one,” integrating Messi into the club’s commercial, institutional, and even youth development fabric for the long term.
The Unfinished Goodbye and the Financial Reality
To understand the potency of Ciria’s pledge, one must revisit the traumatic circumstances of Messi’s exit. His entire professional identity was forged at Barcelona, from the famous contract signed on a napkin as a 13-year-old to becoming the club’s all-time top scorer and appearance holder. The 2021 summer was supposed to conclude with a contract renewal, not a farewell. Both parties had reached an agreement, only for it to be rendered impossible by what the club described as “financial and structural obstacles”. The league’s steadfast enforcement of its financial fair play rules left no room for maneuver, forcing a separation neither wanted.
This context explains why Messi’s relationship with Laporta, the president who presided over his exit despite having campaigned on keeping him, remains strained. It also clarifies the emotional weight of Messi’s secret, late-night visit to Camp Nou in late 2024. In a social media post from the empty stadium, he wrote, “I hope one day I can return, and not just to say goodbye as a player, as I never got to do…”. This public longing from the player himself fuels the political narrative that his story with Barcelona demands a proper ending.
The 2023 Return That Almost Was
Remarkably, the dream of a reunion nearly became a reality in early 2023. Following his World Cup triumph with Argentina, Messi’s chapter at Paris Saint-Germain was ending, and a path back to Barcelona seemed plausible. According to reports, then-manager Xavi Hernández acted as a key bridge, speaking with Messi every 10-15 days about a potential role in a project that would go on to win LaLiga that season. The club drafted a specific two-year contract (2023-2025) designed not only for a sporting contribution but to give Messi the farewell tour he was denied.
Once again, finances proved to be the immovable obstacle. LaLiga, scrutinizing Barcelona’s salary limit situation, informed the club it would not approve the registration of a new contract for Messi, even one reported to be at a drastically reduced rate. The club’s financial “disaster,” a legacy of the previous administration and pandemic impacts, made the operation impossible. It was this definitive rejection from the league that reportedly prompted Messi’s camp to initiate talks with Inter Miami owner David Beckham, closing the European chapter of his career. This failed attempt proves that desire alone is insufficient; any future return is inextricably tied to Barcelona’s economic health and LaLiga’s regulations.
The Political Battle for a Symbol
With Messi thriving in Miami, the 2026 Barcelona presidential election is shaping up to be a referendum on the club’s future direction, with its past legend as a central symbol. Ciria is not alone in invoking Messi’s name. Another candidate, Victor Font, has stated that his “first call” upon winning would be to the Argentine superstar. This political leveraging highlights Messi’s dual value: as an emotional touchstone for members and a potential economic engine for a club still working to stabilize its finances.
Ciria’s platform, “Moviment 42,” frames the return as part of a broader modernization project. He criticizes the current administration for a growing debt and failing to increase revenues commensurate with inflation. In this context, bringing Messi back is portrayed not as a sentimental luxury but as a strategic move. The commercial potential is vast, from global sponsorship deals to merchandising and brand visibility. Ciria argues that integrating Messi as a permanent “ambassador” could create a sustainable, long-term value stream far beyond any playing contract.
The political calculus is clear. By pledging to mend the broken relationship and deliver the homecoming millions of fans crave, a candidate can differentiate himself from Laporta, under whom the painful exit occurred. However, the promises come with significant practical hurdles that cannot be ignored.
The Immovable Object: Contractual and Sporting Hurdles
For all the political will and nostalgic desire, the path to a Messi return is blocked by a series of formidable practical barriers. The most significant is his current contractual commitment to Inter Miami. In late 2025, following a season where he led the team to an MLS Cup title, Messi signed a three-year contract extension that will keep him in Florida until the end of the 2028 season. This deal aligns perfectly with his stated goal of being in peak condition for the 2026 World Cup, to be hosted in North America, and reflects his family’s satisfaction with life in the United States.
Furthermore, Messi’s sporting project in Miami is active and ambitious. The club, having already won the Leagues Cup, Supporters’ Shield, and MLS Cup, is now targeting the CONCACAF Champions Cup and continues to strengthen its squad, such as by pursuing 2025 MLS Goalkeeper of the Year Dayne St. Clair. Messi is the undisputed cornerstone of this project. A return to Barcelona in any playing capacity before 2029 would require Inter Miami’s agreement, a scenario for which there is no current indication.
The nature of a potential role at Barcelona also remains deliberately vague in the candidates’ speeches. At 38, Messi is still performing at an elite level in MLS, but the physical demands of LaLiga are different. A playing return, while the most emotionally resonant idea, is the least plausible. Ciria speaks of an “ambassador” role and integrating him into the club’s structure, but these concepts lack detail. Would it be a formal executive position? A ceremonial role with commercial obligations? The ambiguity suggests the political promise is currently more potent than the concrete plan.
Beyond Barcelona: The Pull of Rosario
Intriguingly, the political conversation around Messi’s future is not confined to Barcelona. Simultaneously, in his Argentine hometown of Rosario, a similar discourse is unfolding. Newell’s Old Boys, the club where a young Messi played before his move to Spain, is also entering a presidential election cycle. Candidate Guillermo Munoz has publicly addressed the perennial dream of fans: seeing Messi end his career in the red-and-black shirt.
Munoz’s comments, however, are framed with a stark realism that contrasts with the promises in Barcelona. “Messi has no commitment or obligation to Newell’s,” he stated, adding that any move would have to be initiated by the player himself out of pure desire, not from club pressure. He cited the precedent of Diego Maradona’s late-career stint at Newell’s as a model—a personal, sentimental choice. This creates a fascinating dynamic: while Barcelona politicians are actively campaigning to bring Messi back, the narrative in Rosario is one of passive hope, waiting for a signal from the man himself.
This adds another layer to Messi’s eventual decision. If a return to his footballing roots is a genuine consideration, it would likely come at the very end of his playing days, potentially after his Miami contract concludes. It presents an alternative, perhaps less pressurized, sentimental conclusion compared to the high-stakes, politically-charged environment of Barcelona.
Weighing the Legacy: Ambassador vs. Iconic Farewell
The debate over a Messi return ultimately centers on two competing visions of how a legend should be reintegrated into a club’s ecosystem. The political push in Barcelona champions the “ambassador model.” This view, championed by Ciria, sees Messi’s value as a permanent, off-field asset. His presence would be leveraged for global commercial partnerships, institutional prestige, and to inspire future generations at La Masia. This is a long-term, business-oriented strategy aimed at locking in the Messi brand for decades.
The alternative, more organic vision is the “iconic farewell.” This is what was stolen in 2021 and what the 2023 plan attempted to orchestrate: a final season or two on the pitch, allowing fans to properly express their gratitude and the player to leave the game in the shirt he made iconic. This is a short-term, emotionally-driven event. Messi’s own words—”not just to say goodbye as a player”—suggest he yearns for this closure.
The critical question is whether these two visions are compatible. Can the immense commercial and institutional pressures of being Barcelona’s “Michael Jordan” coexist with the authentic, heartfelt farewell he and the fans deserve? There is a risk that a return engineered for political and economic purposes could feel transactional, overshadowing the emotional purity of the moment.
- The Economic Imperative: Proponents argue that Barcelona’s fragile financial state necessitates bold moves. Messi’s global appeal could unlock new revenue streams, attract premium sponsors, and increase the club’s valuation, directly addressing the economic woes candidates vow to fix.
- The Emotional Debt: For a generation of fans, Messi’s departure left a void. A return, in any capacity, is seen as correcting a historic wrong and fulfilling a moral obligation to the player who gave his career to the club.
- The Sporting Question: At 38, could he contribute on the field in a meaningful way? While his talent is timeless, the physical demands of a top European league are a serious consideration, making a non-playing role more plausible.
- The Legacy Balance: How the return is structured will define Messi’s lasting relationship with the club. A well-conceived role could cement a century-long legacy; a mismanaged one could lead to renewed friction.
A Global Star at a Crossroads
While the political machines in Barcelona and Rosario whir into action, Lionel Messi himself remains focused on his commitments in the present. His immediate horizon is clear: leading Inter Miami in its defense of the MLS Cup and its pursuit of continental glory, all while preparing for the 2026 World Cup. He is under contract, his family is settled, and his sporting project is successful. The calls from Spain and Argentina are, for now, background noise to a still-active career.
Yet, the very fact that his name is a central issue in club elections on two continents speaks to his unparalleled status. He is more than a former player; he is a political symbol, an economic proposition, and a vessel for collective memory. The promises being made about him are not really about football tactics or next season’s lineup. They are about identity, healing past wounds, and claiming the power to shape a club’s story.
The 2026 Barcelona election will reveal how much weight this symbolic promise carries with the club’s members. If a candidate who heavily campaigns on a “Bring Back Messi” platform wins, it will trigger a serious, high-stakes attempt to turn pledge into reality. That process will then collide with the hard realities of contracts, financial regulations, and Messi’s own personal and professional plans.
Conclusion
The enduring saga of Lionel Messi and FC Barcelona has entered a new, distinctly political chapter. The painful financial divorce of 2021, the near-miss of 2023, and the player’s own public nostalgia have created a powerful political opportunity. Presidential candidate Marc Ciria’s vow to do “whatever it takes” to bring Messi back is a calculated appeal to emotion and economics, framing the legend not just as a missing hero but as a necessary component for the club’s future stability and growth.
However, this political dream faces a wall of reality: a binding contract with Inter Miami until 2028, a satisfying life and project in the United States, and the unresolved question of what a return would actually entail. Furthermore, the quieter call from his boyhood club, Newell’s Old Boys, offers a different, perhaps simpler, sentimental path. What is undeniable is that Messi’s shadow looms large over Barcelona’s future. The 2026 election may well be decided, in part, by who voters believe can finally close the club’s most painful open wound and bring its prodigal son home. Whether that is a promise that can be kept, or one destined to join the long list of what-ifs in this forever story, remains the biggest question of all.
