Lionel Messi Won’t Return To FC Barcelona On Loan: Inter Miami Owner

Lionel Messi won’t be returning to FC Barcelona on loan in the winter according to Inter Miami co-owner Jorge Mas, who confirmed the development during an appearance on the Offside podcast with Taylor Twellman.

As he neared free agency at Paris Saint-Germain, Messi opted not to wait around for the cash-strapped Catalans to get their house in order so that he could possibly enjoy a second stint at his boyhood club this summer.

Also turning down a huge, reported €500 million ($552 million) a season offer from Al-Hilal in Saudi Arabia, which would have guaranteed a return to the top of Forbes’ list of The World’s Highest-Paid Athletes, the Argentine decided to join Inter Miami where he has already scored three goals in two appearances.

Considering the MLS season finishes in October – running until early December at the most for those that enjoy a deep play-off run – and doesn’t resume until late February, it was suggested that Messi could return to the Blaugrana on loan to stay sharp.

This has been seen before with players such as his former Barca teammate Thierry Henry and Inter Miami co-owner David Beckham, who headed back to Europe for a couple of months after signing for Stateside outfits.

Yet according to Beckham’s partner Jorge Mas, the potential temporary assignment is a non-starter in Messi’s case.

Pondering in what capacity Messi will make his Camp Nou return during an appearance on the Offside podcast, Mas stressed that it was his “personal opinion” this will be done through a farewell fixture such as an edition of the Joan Gamper trophy Barca hold every August.

“I want to caveat that,” Mas said. “I don’t know if it’s some type of friendly or farewell game. They have this Gamper Trophy they play for in the summer.”

“But there will be something where, hopefully when the new Camp Nou is open, because their stadium there they will not be playing in for the next year and a half, hopefully Lionel Messi can say his proper goodbye.”

“That does not entail playing for Barcelona. He’s not going to go on loan there. That’s not going to happen,” Mas added explicitly.

“Yes, he deserves his correct goodbye there. Yes, and I will do everything in my power in order to facilitate and help him do that because he’s deserving of that.”

Messi penned a two-year contract with Inter Miami which pays him between $50-60 million a season as revealed by Mas in a recent interview with El Pais.

The serial Ballon d’Or winner will be 38 by the time the deal expires, and he has ruled himself out of helping Argentina defend the World Cup title he led them to at Qatar 2022 when the FIFA tournament takes place in the US, Canada and Mexico in 2026.

Providing he doesn’t extend with Inter Miami, a stint at hometown club Newell’s Old Boys in Rosario is far more likely for Messi than donning his iconic Barca number 10 shirt again to end a storied career.