Barcelona president Joan Laporta has rejected the notion of re-signing Lionel Messi for a solitary match on loan but reaffirmed the club's desire to welcome the forward back for a proper send-off in the future.
In 2021, Messi concluded his nearly two-decade-long tenure with Barca. The club had to let him go due to their inability to register his new contract, adhering to La Liga's stringent financial guidelines.
Following two relatively discontented seasons at Paris Saint-Germain, speculation arose about Messi's return to Barcelona. However, he opted to join MLS outfit Inter Miami instead.
Recent reports indicated Barcelona's interest in securing Messi temporarily for a single match to grant him a more fitting farewell. Nevertheless, Laporta expressed uncertainty regarding whether such a move complies with FIFA's regulations.
"There will be time to talk about it [Messi's return]. There are all kinds of reports, but I don't think that's even allowed by FIFA," Laporta said to EFE of a one-game loan.
"We are open to doing it when they [Messi and his family] want to do it. Messi is the best player in history and, given how much we respect and admire him, of course he deserves a tribute at Barcelona.
"I don't know if it will be when we return to the Spotify Camp Nou at the end of 2024 or when the stadium is fully built by July 2026."
When asked why Barcelona didn't sign Messi during the summer transfer window, Laporta replied: "It was left a bit in limbo. In the end, it didn't happen, because what he told us was totally logical. Because of the pressure he had been under in Paris, he preferred to go to Inter Miami, because that would give him a certain stability. It was a decision we respected."
Messi is set for a reunion with one of his other former sides in February when Inter Miami take on his boyhood club Newell's Old Boys.