Barca President Joan Laport said that PSG was partly responsible when Lionel Messi did not return to Camp Nou.

Fans always hope to see Lionel Messi return to Barcelona. No matter where he plays, this star has made no secret about returning to Catalan one day.

After two unsuccessful years in Paris, Messi left in the summer of 2023 as a free agent. He continued to be rumored to return to Barca, but in the end he chose to go to Inter Miami in the US.

Messi chose to go to Miami because he did not want more pressure. Photo: Getty.

Talking about the negotiation process with Barca, president Joan Laporta mentioned the reason that prevented La Pulga from returning to Spain.

According to Sport, Laporta said: “He told us that he decided to join Inter Miami because he went through very difficult seasons in Paris, where he was under a lot of pressure. When he is in Miami, he will be calmer and can think about the Argentina team. Even though Messi wants to go to Barca, he doesn’t want to go through another year like that.”

The Argentine striker himself and his father are interested in returning. But things didn’t go as expected. Messi revealed that he also did not want to cause more financial trouble for the club. However, Laporta blamed PSG for putting pressure on the star, making him unable to focus on the Argentina team.

Messi has made a huge impression since arriving in the US, alongside former Barcelona stars Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba. Messi scored 10 goals to lead Miami to its first championship in history, the Leagues Cup. Unfortunately, a lingering hamstring injury forced him to miss some late-season matches. Inter Miami was unable to reach the MLS 2023 playoffs and ended the season in October. During that time, the club also created conditions for him to play for Argentina.